Breath of Fire: Prelude to War
by Crow Magnum
Summary: A power vacuum has existed for two millenia and the drift of time where once slow, is now speeding towards an unkown outcome. Review, because every time you do, an angel gets its wings. 60 reviews! w00t! Finished!
1. The Fall of an Empire

Okay, here goes in an attempt to write a decent story. I make no to pretenses of being a writer, I'm just typing 'cause I got a thought in my head. Normally I'm not a big writer, I'm more likely to read something from the site than actually post something. So here goes... Well, maybe in another paragraph or so.  
  
First, I am supposed to say that I do not own anything from Breath of Fire or anything else that this might bare resemblance to, so they own it and not me, and I solemnly swear not to make a profit off of this... Kind of stupid to say that since I think it's difficult to make a profit off of something that I'm not selling. Well, if you did want to give me money out of the kindness of your heart that would be nice, but you don't have to.  
  
The second thing I have to do is give a sort of background piece to perhaps give you insight, or to perhaps waste your time. I was playing the game Gladius a lot at the time so the thought of writing a tale of gladiators popped into mind, I modified that after playing some Breath of Fire games and watching Lord of the Rings movies and playing Risk. The story got jumbled into its present state and here it is. If you notice any striking resemblance to something else other than what I've mentioned I want you to remember a few things: 1) There are only 7 main themes to a story. 2) I'm a compulsive thief. 3) The Wachowski Brothers are worse than I am. Keep those three items in mind and we should be fine.  
  
Here's the prologue:  
  
Prologue: The End of a Dream  
  
On a rain and blood soaked field the armies of the Followers were marshalling into ranks beneath the baleful gaze of Dragon Tower and the last stronghold of the Dragon Empire. Over one million troops were pulling into ranks before the walls surrounding the metropolis. Merzauk stood upon the crenellations and smiled cynically to himself. *How the high have fallen?* He thought, feeding his dark mood. To think that he would live to see the Empire in its golden years only to have it replaced by the bloodiest war ever to be witnessed.  
  
His own forces were making preparations upon the walls and streets. The City had been converted into a death trap, a dying ground for any who would enter with the idea of conquering. Merzauk knew he couldn't win this fight, with only a hundred legions left to call upon in this dire time. He used to be able to call upon ten times that many. "How the high have fallen?" He repeated aloud slamming his fist against the stone in anger.  
  
One of his generals came rushing up the flight of stairs towards Merzauk's solitary vigil, "My Liege, the catapults have been readied and the archers stand prepared to let loose their volley." He rose up from his position on his knee and looked with anticipation into Merzauk's eyes. Merzauk, wanted to say something to give him hope, to give them all hope, but anything he might have said stuck in his throat. In the end, all Merzauk could do was nod before saluting the General and turning back to watch the Armies of the Followers.  
  
Their banner was a combination of the three aligned Kingdoms: Windia, Woren, and the Humans, a winged sword on a sunburst. It might have been a beautiful sight if the army wasn't arrayed against him. He had always thought that he'd been a merciful ruler, if it weren't for him these people would still be fighting amongst themselves in perpetual civil wars. His predecessors had been keen upon taking the lands and spreading technology, but not about feelings and people. *Look where our kindness has brought us, a loss of everything we once claimed home, the death of over half of our population, everything gone.*  
  
The great horn of Azgurn sounded from the Dragon Tower and the catapults let loose their bales of pitch and naphtha. The heavy rains may have quenched any other kinds of fire, but these fires grew, almost as if the water was the fuel. Clusters of men and worens screamed in agony while the fires fused flesh and metal together. The Followers sounded their own horns and began a quick march into the jaws of the Dragon. The arrows began their deadly paths, each archer not bothering to fire as a group but spurred on by fear and anger, let loose arrow after arrow into the seething mass.  
  
Occasional balls of pitch fell into the ranks but the ranks held firm and continued to march despite the injuries it had sustained. "At least they were foolish enough to trust the Windians to batter down the gates and refuse to use siege weaponry." Merzauk said scanning the dark clouds for signs of the Windian forces. They would come when things were going their worst for him, he knew it. Almost on cue the pearly white wings of a Windian came into sight. *Bless Ladon for good eyesight.*  
The wings were soon joined by another and then another, until an entire battalion swept into view, even in the air they kept tight ranks. *All the easier to kill.* Merzauk pulled out his sword and swept it downwards giving a signal to the few remaining members of the Brotherhood. Together they began they control of the weather, the storm proved advantageous to the defense as the Windians soon realized. Bolts of lightning issued forth with deadly accuracy to strike groups of Windians and the army below.  
  
The Windians retaliated hurling a controlled tornado into the steel gates of the city. Again and again the winds buffeted the gates but they still remained steadfast. Meanwhile, more pitch and arrows was being dumped upon the Followers. An agonizing fifteen minutes later, the Windians still remained in strong numbers, but the Brotherhood had exhausted all the power left to them. Merzauk gestured again with his sword and the archers began to let loose their arrows upon the Windians.  
  
The ground forces surged again and breached the gate and found a great portcullis barring their way. As soon as a good number of the forces had pushed their way through, the trap was sprung, a great fire surrounded those inside the gates and proceeded to let them know their error. It was still not enough, the Windians began to land upon the walls and fought the archers in a tooth and nail fight for control of the height. The Dragons were strong but after a years worth of war they had tired, and with all hope lost they began to pull back and relinquish key points.  
  
A foolish soldier lighted near Merzauk and was swiftly eviscerated. He felt a little better after that, he spied more of their troops flying towards him, obviously a high ranking official since the Royal Guard flew with the person at the forefront. Merzauk raised his left hand and summoned forth a small bit of power, pure force erupted from his palm and exploded in the middle of the incoming Windians. Of the ten potential attackers, five plummeted from the skies while the remaining doubled their efforts.  
  
He glanced down and saw the second portcullis beginning to buckle under the magical and physical assault, small groups of archers still manned parts of the wall and attacked the Windians ferociously, they knew that this was the end and that they had to make it count. The Windians were upon him in that brief glance, one went down immediately, thinking him unaware and caught his sword in a swift horizontal cut. Merzauk shuffled backwards executing a riposte, killing a second. The remaining three backed off, circling him.  
  
He felt good for the first time in months, being able to fight again let him forget some of what would come by tomorrow. Pulling a dagger from his belt he hurled it at an unsuspecting Windian, piercing it in his throat. The other two charged and had their attacks met with the King's sword. Merzauk, recognized one of his attackers as the Queen of Windia. "A fool hardy gesture Anora!" Merzauk snarled, kicking her back before swiftly cutting down the last of her guards.  
  
Anora was sent over the wall by the force of the blow and flew down towards the gate wanting to see to final stand in dubious safety. Merzauk quickly descended from his perch to stand with his people in their final hours. The remaining forces of the Dragon Army readied their shields and brought up spears in anticipation for the oncoming attack. The gates finally fell and the last trap on the wall was unleashed, hogsheads of molten lead were poured down upon the invaders scalding all and encasing some in a fresh tomb. Their compatriots charged by them and ran headlong into the Dragon lines.  
  
Merzauk's world was quickly confined to ten feet as he quickly cut through anyone who would try to take this point from him. His new world was born and baptized amidst blood. Seconds were millennia of violence as bodies entered, fell away, and rose up trying to destroy the small world but it was constantly stabilized by the relentless swordplay of Merzauk.  
  
No matter how well he fought, no matter how well his people fought, they were inexorably pushed back. During a brief respite in his part of the battle, Merzauk looked upon the walls to see the flag of his nation being pulled down and replaced with the Follower's banner. The entire army noticed this happening and a break in the fighting became a cease fire of sorts. Every race looked upon that single piece of cloth fluttering in the wind. A break in the enemy ranks appeared and three figures walked through towards Merzauk.  
  
He recognized the three leaders of the Followers: Anora, King Volünd, and the War Chief Urzak. Merzauk was tempted to kill the three of them right now but he doubted he could do it at this point. What remained of the Windian attack force was perched along the wall and had their arrows trained upon him. The trio stopped five feet in front of him and stood expectantly.  
  
Merzauk sheathed his sword and glared at the three, he was fighting the Border Wars when their parents were still in the womb. He had quelled the civil war in Woren when these people were learning to read and write. He had traveled to the distant Dragon Islands when these people were attending their first Royal Ball as men and women. Yet here he was the most powerful Dragon Clanner, the Chosen of Ladon, and the Emperor of the known world, standing before three spoiled children.  
  
"Greetings King Merzauk, we have come to discuss your terms of surrender." Anora said bowing her head, as if she were equal to him.  
  
He sneered in response to the very thought of his people surrendering. "There is nothing to discuss child! You don't have forces left to take the city, unless you have an extra score of legions hidden somewhere, you barely outnumber us by half our forces. No, I think it is you who should think about surrender before your army is broken under the Eye of Ladon."  
  
Anora's eyes steeled and looked at Merzauk like she would love to give the signal to fire. "I do not have to take the city, I just have to make sure that your pathetic race can never subjugate the world ever again."  
  
"Even if that were possible, think of the cost it would exact upon your army, every single one of them would die in the taking of the city, for when the Tower is breached, everything ends." Merzauk retorted looming above the diminutive ruler.  
  
"I don't care if they die, I don't care if I have to raise another million soldiers and have them die so long as I can see your race dead!" Anora shouted at him, loud enough for everyone on the battlefield to hear it. Her counterparts looked at her in surprise but hid it when she looked over at them.  
  
*Anora is not herself.* Ladon said suddenly within Merzauk's mind. He was surprised to say the least, he never would have thought that one of their leaders was not there mentally. Then who is controlling her. Merzauk asked going into a sort of trance, he could see Anora reading something off of a list but he ignored it. *The Goddess of the Followers: Myria.* Merzauk's surprise doubled in that moment, but the more he thought about it, the more it would explain the complete lack of qualms the army seemed to have in throwing away their troops.  
  
Merzauk came back into the real world just in time to hear Anora ask him if he agreed to the terms. Merzauk would have laughed in her face regardless of what the terms were, Dragons don't surrender. But he could feel Ladon take control. Merzauk was pushed into a small recess of his mind, the events were revealed to him as if he were watching a play.  
  
Ladon-Merzauk seemed to swell in size as he looked upon the pretentious rulers of barbaric humanoids that would still be uncivilized if it weren't for the capriciousness of his people. "I reject your terms Myria! I will not see my children die to satisfy your vengeance! Withdraw your armies or I will step into the battle!" Ladon-Merzauk stood twelve feet tall now and glowered full of rage at the three rulers.  
  
"I will never back down! I will see to it that you land in the deepest pits of Hell!" Anora screeched at him. What happened next will forever be remembered as the time when Ladon gave his final gift to the people. Myria lashed out with a great tendril of energy, trying to ensnare the Avatar of Ladon but the being swelled and began to change. Merzauk could sense himself becoming what Ladon appeared as in his dreams. The King of Dragons began to take shape in what was once the body of Merzauk. Great wings ripped out of his skin and two curling horns grew from the ears that the human once possessed. Falling down onto all fours and his body grew in bulk, scales covering his skin as a giant tail began to snake out, almost crushing part of the Dragon Army.  
  
The newly transformed Ladon glared down at the army arrayed before him. How small it seems now? Merzauk thought from inside the mind of what was once his body. Ladon started to laugh in a deep, grating sound that sent many of the troops back in a half-hearted retreat. Ladon inhaled deeply before letting loose a torrent of black fire onto the forces arrayed before him. Myria raised some sort of shield to protect the body she possessed but offered nothing to the other leaders and to none of the troops. What was once a mighty army had been incinerated into ashes, leaving nothing behind save a few charred bones and armor. Barely a tenth of their army was left upon the field, Ladon slammed his claw down upon the shield breaking it and burying Myria-Anora under his gargantuan foot.  
  
"You will call off this war now. Your army is broken and their leaders killed. You will withdraw from the body you possess and send the child to Merzauk tomorrow to discuss the cease fire. If you do not comply I will unleash MY fury upon your children!" Merzauk could feel Ladon depart from his body but Merzauk still remained in this new form. *My child, I will leave you and your children with the power you have witnessed today, you need only will it and you shall change into this new form.* Merzauk felt bereft of something now that Ladon had departed from him. A bit of the comfort that he had felt was gone and now he stared down at the tattered remnants and a struggling Anora. Merzauk began to transform again back into his old body. He saw Anora scramble to her feet as she trembled in fright and the shock of loss.  
  
When he was full reverted he felt the weight of a great boulder upon his shoulder as he looked at Anora. "Come back tomorrow and we will discuss the cease fire." Merzauk said summoning all the power he had left in him to not falter in his speech or movements. Anora nodded and turned back to her forces, Merzauk did the same. His troops were smiling and clapping him and each other on the back as they celebrated the first victory they had had since the very beginning of this war.  
  
Merzauk smiled with them as he walked back towards the Dragon Tower, most of his troops went to repairing the gates should the Followers attack again. If they did they would die before they even came close to breaching the wall, they simply didn't have enough people. The remainder of the day and night was spent with Merzauk resting and feasting with his son and some of the generals.  
  
The next day shone with a brightness that was unaccustomed to this time of year. Merzauk sat upon his throne as Anora and two other delegates from the other races entered and genuflected before the victorious ruler. "Good morning children. Let us get down to business, the first term of the cease fire should be that you vow never to infringe upon Dragon Territory again. Second, you shall neve..." Merzauk was cut off by Anora who glared at them balefully.  
  
"You will not command us like a father scolding errant children! We have brought the "Great" Dragon Empire to its knees and we shall be the ones who say what the terms are as the victor! We can still call upon more troops and decimate what's left of you army!" She shouted at him, the other two nodding in agreement.  
  
"Anora, please tell me something. If I was to have you three killed right now, who would take command, you all rule by the consent of me. Because as you know, you were nothing but a group of bickering tribes when I settled the matters for you, or have you already forgot my acts of kindness?" Merzauk smiled at the three as they floundered around for answers.  
  
"Our hatred of you will unite the people! Don't try to pass off your ruling as nothing more than tyranny. Your people have ruled us for as long as we can remember and now we have thrown off the yoke of your rule and will make something of ourselves!" Anora finally answered him and Merzauk could see that nothing would be accomplished at this point.  
  
"Fine, what do you think the first term should be..."  
  
And so it went, the cease fire finally became set in stone two days later and really helped the Dragons though the Followers didn't know it. The Dragon Empire was to be no more but the Followers could never unite under the same banner unless they desired to be destroyed by the Kaiser Dragon. The Dragons had to move to the Dragon Isles and could never again lay claim to any lands on the continent though the Followers could not usurp the lands of some of the small villages that still housed the Dragons.  
  
The Great Uprising had ended but none of its original goals had been settled. The Dragons had grown in power and now had an unassailable place to build up their armies should the need arise. The Followers could not create a unified Kingdom of their own not only because of the pact, but because of the lack of a unifying goal. Three million people had died just to revert the world back into a pitiful state with the Dragons the only real winners.  
  
Two thousand years have passed since the Great War... 


	2. A Gladiator's Shot at Redemption

OK, I want to thank the people who reviewed, you truly bolstered my confidence. I figure I'll address some of the things you said about me: 1) since you apparently liked the epic battle scene I'll try to fit a few more in and try to make them varied. 2) I don't know how much political intrigue I can throw into this, but I'll try to put in enough to suit your tastes. That's basically it. As previously stated, I'll try to post once a week, depending on how things are working. By the way, since italics haven't been appearing, thoughts are going to appear in these: *  
  
Chapter One: A Gladiator's shot at Redemption  
  
The Coliseum of Dragker was a fairly renowned area. Numerous gladiators from all races and all walks of life entered the games in a search for notoriety, wealth, and possible freedom. The latter was the case of a slave known as Fenris.  
  
He had been found by a group of slavers as a young boy and they, being the kind and gentle slavers they were, sent him to the Pits of Granek. Once there, he was trained to be a part of the glorious slave army that would be the force that conquered the world in the name of the Sorcerer-King Janabis. Unfortunately that plan backfired when he died trying to create a magical artifact to aid in his war. The then teen aged Fenris was sent to Dragker where he faced off against whatever opponents they had in mind for him.  
  
Due to his training he fit right in, he was cold, calculating, and utterly remorseless in the fight. That crowd loved and hated him for his prowess. Where others made a show of rivalry and glamour, he fought to win, and he fought to kill, and today would be no different for him. He was tall, measuring about six feet and was stocky, his mass coming from his muscled form. His black hair was kept shortly trimmed and he kept himself free of facial hair. His brown eyes focused intensely upon the pathway which he would soon walk down and into the arena.  
  
Fenris was buckling on his arm guard, it protected his sword arm while his left was to be protected by the round steel shield hooked to his arm by an eight foot long chain. His torso and legs were covered by steel plates that glittered in the sunlight of the room. His final piece of armor left was his steel campana which, with his head lowered, would provide a second shield against projectiles when he charged.  
Fully suited he began the walk towards the arena. The stomp of human feet and the cries of the spectators in excitement grew louder with each footstep. Coliseum guards flanked the walkway, ensuring that no slave would attempt to fight his way out. Fenris kept walking. He could begin to distinguish the crowd's chants.  
  
"FEN-RIS"  
  
"FEN-RIS"  
  
"FEN-RIS"  
  
"FEN-RIS"  
  
Whether or not the cheers were in support or derision didn't matter to the slave. He would win again or die and be released from his bonds. He finally stepped out into the sweltering daylight. The marble walls surrounding him before rising up into the stands were used to dazzle not only the spectators, but the fighters as well. In some of the fights, a resident sorcerer would imbue the walls to flash searing light onto the fighters in a deadly ballet meant to incinerate the unwary. Pieces of debris, some as big as himself, were strewn about the battlefield since some of the fights included archers or sorcerers. Fenris saw his opponent step out of the opening directly opposite to him.  
  
He was a nomad from the Desert of Blades. He was a big man, maybe he was here for the money, or maybe he was an outcast among his people. Fenris shook those thoughts out of his head, to think about the enemy was to make them less of an abstraction, and thusly, making it harder to kill. The more of a human, the less of a fighter.  
  
The nomad pulled out a massive falchion and held it in one hand. Whether this was a sign of the actual strength or merely a gimmick, would have to be seen. The two opponents walked toward each other amidst the cries of the spectators, they had reached a fevered pitch in the excitement to see the blood and violence as the two moved closer together. When they stood no more than five feet from each other the crowd grew silent. The nomad stood at least six and half feet, a half foot taller than Fenris. Fenris, was probably outclassed in strength and body, but those factors mattered little in a fight controlled by a showman. Whether or not the fight would be another choreographic masterpiece would again depend upon the crowd.  
For a brief moment everything was still, people dared not breathe. Fenris's muscles tensed in anticipation, he awaited the gong that signified the beginning of the fight. The Nomad tensed too, and crouched down into a better defensive position against a smaller man. Fenris raised his shield...  
  
The signaler began to march solemnly to the tower...  
  
The crowd rubbed their hands and licked their lips...  
  
The nomad gripped his falchion in two hands...  
  
The hammer was raised and fell slamming into the gong, breaking the silence of the world which then erupted in a cacophony of cheers, taunts, war cries, and the clash of steel. The nomad struck first slamming his falchion two handed into Fenris's shield, trying to break it or him. Fenris countered with three quick cuts to measure the speed of the opponent. Each was masterfully blocked and then returned in rapid succession. Low sweeps of the weapons caused the other to jump and attack with an overhead blow. Each fighter moved in a constant state of action and reaction.  
  
The nomad made his first mistake by getting angry, he didn't yell or increase the fury of his attacks, but the tightening in his eyes and the gritting of his teeth gave Fenris the signs he needed. He retreated into a total defensive strategy, each attack was blocked with sword or shield. Each time the nomad left himself open, Fenris let it slide. Fenris saw his chance to attack after a vicious four combo attack leaving both he and the nomad winded. Fenris rushed in after he regained his footing, lunged forward with his sword only to have it blocked. But the sword was a feint, a misleading attack that allowed the nomad to be slammed backward by his shield. The dazed nomad retreated backwards as Fenris continued his rush slashing at his opponent, trying to score a hit. Finally, Fenris fell into a trap his own trap, he had left himself open.  
  
Sensing an opportunity, the nomad brought his falchion up high over his head, leaping into the air preparing to cleave his opponent's skull. Fenris's sword was useless at this point, he couldn't bring it to bear in time and his shield and arm would likely be cut off in an attempt to block. Fenris let out a fierce roar of anger and frustration before rushing the still airborne nomad. The shield-led charge hit the nomad full force and his breathless body was held aloft by the charging Fenris. Fenris's view of what was in front was completely cut off so he charged blindly until he felt the body slam into one of the pieces of debris. An audible snap followed by a collective "OH!" from the crowd, not to mention the now limp weight upon his shield told Fenris that his opponent was either paralyzed by the breaking of his spine, or dead. He let the body fall onto the ground, seeing blood decorate the stone.  
  
Fenris turned away as the crowd began another deafening cheer of his name.  
  
"FEN-RIS"  
  
"FEN-RIS"  
  
"FEN-RIS"  
  
"FEN..." The last part was cut off as he descended once more into the cool underground below the coliseum. Some of the guards saluted him or just nodded their heads in greeting, Fenris just walked by. He arrived in the arming room and saw one of the regular slaves standing in his crisp uniform, apparently awaiting Fenris's arrival.  
  
"Excellent show Fenris. Master Murnab requires your presence after you have washed and changed. He wishes to discuss the next fight." With that, the slave turned on his heels and walked out of the room. Fenris unstrapped his campana and then began to remove the rest of his armor before walking towards his quarters.  
  
Since Fenris enjoyed great renown, he was able to have his own suite complete with bathing pool and own slaves to take care of him. He usually just ignored them and left them to their own devices, they never spoke to him nor tried to be friendly, they were below him in the hierarchy. He tossed off his clothes and waded into the pool, not taking time to relish the continuously warm waters, just cleaning himself off enough to be presentable to Murnab.  
  
Ten minutes later, his bath complete, Fenris clothed himself and began to walk down to the office of the Master of the Coliseum. Murnab had been running the games for over a decade and he was the one who owned Fenris. Murnab ran the games the way he wanted, every fight had a clear outcome for him, he was the puppeteer, and Fenris was his marionette. Each fight had a twist, whether it was the fighters each being told that the other was going to be poisoned, or that a trap was set that only one knew about. Murnab used to be mayor of Dragker until he was ousted out of the political arena and into this one. Now though, with the money the fights brought, and the number of slave warriors under his control, Murnab ran everything about the city. If you were friends with Murnab, you lived in the nicest neighborhoods, had the best protection, and typically gained the most power. If Murnab was your enemy, you'd be lucky if you had food and a shack. Murnab used to be boss of the mayor's office, and then boss of the arena, now he was simply The Boss.  
  
Fenris opened the door into the office and saw Murnab sitting behind his desk, leaning back in his chair and sipping at a glass of wine. The Boss was a tall thin man with long white hair pulled back into an intricate ponytail. He was dressed in a crisp, blood red doublet with black trimming. His pants were also red with similar black trimming, as far as Fenris knew, Murnab had nothing but red clothes. As soon as Fenris entered, the other slaves exited. Murnab never let any other slaves listen in on these conversations, he didn't want his game plan to be compromised.  
  
Fenris took the seat directly in front of the desk and leaned back waiting for Murnab to reveal his next master plan. "Congratulations on the fight Fenris, I never expected you to be able to bull rush such a man." Murnab congratulated, pausing only to take a sip of wine. "Your next fight will probably be easier, but I want you to put on a real show, make the audience and your opponent real surprised."  
  
"How?" Fenris asked succinctly.  
  
"Your opponent is the Plainsmen Bo. He is the fastest archer in the coliseum, you may have noticed him in one of the marksmen duels. I want you to get shot three times in Bo's traditional style. He will attack you once into you upper arm of you right arm, once again at your left knee, and then a final arrow into the stomach. Then when he closes range, he'll stand exactly ten feet from you. Knock his final arrow and in a coup de grace, he will finish you. Only when he knocks his bow, throw your shield at him, revealing a new trick to the crowd for the first time. Did you get all that?" Murnab finished his explanation of the fight.  
  
Fenris nodded and rose to his feet. The next fight would probably be in the next couple of days. Days where Fenris didn't fight were slow days for him, he rarely saw any action and basically spent his time modifying his armor for the fight and training. The next three days were no different. Fenris attached a lot more padding to his armor in the areas where Bo would shoot him. The morning of the fight dawned and Fenris once again prepared.  
  
The atmosphere of the crowd was different this time. They cheered of course, but they didn't root for one fighter. They were being treated to the only fight of this kind they had ever heard of, what would occur here would determine nothing in the standings, but would provide a lot of amusement for the fans. Fenris knew that he was the underdog in this fight, Bo was expected to dispatch him in his typical quickness, only, Fenris was much better than this Bo character was.  
  
The sun was as high as ever, the marble walls reflected the light with such a rainbow of brilliance, that Fenris dipped his hat slightly so that his eyes were shielded. Bo could be seen standing close to some of the debris, Fenris figured he would make a dash for it and be safe to shoot at him. The crowd grew silent again as Fenris watched the signaler go to his platform. The hammer was raised, it struck the gong, the signal resounded throughout the arena, and the fight began.  
  
Bo fired a shot to measure the reactions of his opponent. Fenris made a show of barely blocking it with his shield. Fenris then drew his sword and rushed the protected archer with his head slightly down to protect his head from arrow shots. His sword arm was wide, providing the bait for Bo and he bit, hook line and sinker. Fenris felt the impact in his arm, harder than he had anticipated, but not injuring. The charge faltered and the sword was dropped.  
  
A second arrow was let loose and Fenris ducked his head completely and brought up his shield, the arrow clanged off his campana but another flew directed into his upper thigh. Staggering onto the ground, Fenris welcomed the final shot. It zoomed in with the same amount of accuracy the previous shots had hit with. Fenris went down to his hands and knees pretending to be prone. Bo strutted forward, Fenris had lost his hat with the pretense that he was breathing harder, and needed the strap undone. He glared up at the Plainsmen, who merely smirked down at him from ten feet away.  
  
"And here I was thinking that you would offer a challenge." Bo said pulling the killing arrow back and knocking it. Fenris waited, sweat running down his forehead, sliding down his nose before reaching the tip. Slowly it collected and dropped splashing into the sand underneath. Fenris exploded into motion hurling his shield at the stunned Bo. The collective sharp intake of breath signified the shock of the crowd, the shield spun towards its target. The bow gave way under the force, snapping in two before the shield itself slammed into Bo's chest knocking all the breath out of him. The Plainsmen slumped to the ground defeated.  
  
Fenris collapsed too, but only for effect. He could feel himself being lifted up and being carried into the passageway leading to his room. He re-exerted control over his body and began walking casually. He pulled the three arrows out, only the one in his stomach had any blood. Tossing the arrows aside, he disarmed himself and stepped into the hallways of the Coliseum.  
  
It was a marvel of the architectural community, marble stone crafted the entire building, magic made it seamless, and the artwork made it timeless. Sunlight came in, casting arched shadows as it came in threw the windows. Fenris continued to walk down the hallways, limping slightly from the puncture wound at his knee, after a few turns and several guards eyeing him askance he made it into the office of Murnab once more.  
  
It was the same as ever except Murnab was not behind his desk sipping a victory glass of wine, but looking at several of his exotic, carnivorous plants. A particularly large specimen had a sparrow trapped in its tendrils and was slowly squeezing the bird to death. Murnab was chuckling slightly at the display, he caressed on of the flowering stalks that would act as a lure in the wild almost fatherly. The Boss caught Fenris in the mirror and turned around smiling. "Another excellent fight!" He said proudly, clapping Fenris soundly on the shoulder. He looked down and noticed the blood slowly running down Fenris's leg. "You should get that looked at, we'll discuss the next fight over dinner." Murnab said before making a dismissing gesture with his left hand.  
  
Fenris limped out again began his trek back to his own room, he would likely get one of his slaves to find a healer while he bathed. Fenris arrived back at his room and sent one of his slaves to go find a healer and another to get his armor and repair it. Fenris removed his clothes and began to bathe again. This time he soaked longer, he was getting tired. He longed for the day when he would finally gain enough money to leave, and then he could do whatever he wanted. Explore the world, fight in other coliseums. Or maybe just sit back, and enjoy the summer breeze from a good vantage point.  
  
A healer walked in, Fenris was slightly surprised by the lack of a knock, but he would live with it. It was an older man who leaned upon a cane slightly. "It was a good fight today Master Fenris. If you would step out of the pool I'll be able to bandage you up quite nicely." He said in a mild voice. Fenris stood up and grabbed a robe from the wall and sat down on the bench. The healer bent over slightly and rubbed some sort of poultice onto the wound. Fenris gritted his teeth at the sensation but didn't cry out. With the poultice on, nothing was left but to bandage it and wait. The healer left after bidding his goodbye and Fenris was left to whittle away another few hours.  
  
Nothing much happened, Fenris sat in a daze and looked up at the ceiling. Images danced across it in response to his imagination's prodding. Shadowy figures that were his parents played in front of his mind as he thought about what his parents might have been like, or what he dreamt his parents were like. He pushed such thoughts away and began to get dressed for the dinner with Murnab. He wore the same simple clothes that all slaves wore when in his position. He walked down the halls, barely limping, the poultice had done its work and he now had almost his normal mobility.  
  
He entered into the office and saw no one inside. He continued to walk through, the carnivorous plant hissed slightly, how it could was a mystery to him, but he steered clear of it. He was about to go into the back room when he heard a conversation. He immediately recognized Murnab's voice laughing slightly, the other voice he couldn't quite place. Fenris leaned in closer and tried to distinguish more of the conversation.  
  
"An excellent idea!" *Murnab.*  
  
"I hope that this Fenris of yours can win, it would make for excellent rematch material." *There's the unknown guy.*  
  
"You have nothing to worry about, Fenris is unstoppable." Murnab answered, the two laughed and Fenris could hear them beginning to go towards the door. Fenris straightened himself and moved over to the plants. He tried his best to look casual when Murnab and his guest came out. The second man was dressed in finely crafted mail armor. A black cloak went down to about his calves and his arms and legs were covered in metal plates. He also carried a sword, something that no one except guards had the privilege of carrying, this man would likely to prove dangerous. In the time it took for Fenris to examine this man, he was already leaving, with Fenris being led into the banquet hall where a sumptuous dinner was laid before him.  
  
He sat down directly opposite to the man who would control his fate for the next fight. The food smelled appetizing, Fenris went through the first course of soup quickly, paying for it with a burned mouth. Murnab did not choose to speak. The second course of salad was eaten, more leisurely now by Fenris who kept his eyes on the still silent Murnab. Fenris grabbed the glass of wine and gulped it down while the slave placed a dish of roasted herd beast before him. Fenris dived into this same dish all the while beginning to grow nervous. His arena was the fight, not some dinner with a politician.  
  
At last, when the food was done and the wine drained, Murnab chose to speak. "Your next fight will be against this Woren girl. You've probably heard about her from the other competitors, she is the most popular fighter we have. I want you to beat her, but don't kill her." Murnab said without any of his old kind of flare, he said these words without any of his normal inflection, he just stated them. Fenris was even more nervous than he was when he listened in to the conversation. *I guess I know what they were referring to when they were talking about the fight.* Fenris rose and walked out of the banquet hall, through the office, and straight back to his room. Along the way he bumped into his previous opponent Bo.  
  
"Hey dude! That was one hell of a trick you pulled!" Bo said in a deep voice, which was filled with a kind of exuberance. Fenris was kind of taken aback by this display of joviality. Bo offered his furry hand in a handshake which Fenris took, albeit reluctantly. Bo basically steered Fenris down the hall and struck up a conversation with him regardless of whether or not Fenris wanted to come with him.  
  
"I have to admit, I never would have thought of someone using a trick like that. Where'd you learn it?" Bo asked peering down at him, he was tall like all other Plainsmen, his canine face was questioning but before Fenris could open his mouth to reply Bo went down off another path of conversation. "I was amazed when I first arrived at this place. I never thought that a town could be so big. My hometown was much smaller than this place. You could probably fit my hometown into a corner of this city..." On and on he talked, Fenris could barely keep up with the fast talking archer.  
  
They eventually reached the main gallery of the Coliseum. A few of the fighters were standing around or reclining in some of the couches scattered about the room. A trained musician slave was always present at this room, strumming on a harp or some other instrument. Today, a big commotion was centered upon this Woren girl in the middle of a group of fans all searching for an autograph. Bo stopped his yammering and pointed directly at her.  
  
"Hey dude look, it's Cizrai. (That C's pronounced like a K.) I hear that she's the best, simply put, all around best." That comment was said without any of his usual exuberance or speed. Bo actually seethed in this girl's presence, especially now that she was smiling and laughing. Fenris snorted at the comment.  
  
"They may say she's the best, but she hasn't fought me yet. Actually, I think that she's my next opponent." Fenris said finally pulling free of the now shocked Bo. Everyone seemed shocked by that comment, the fans around the Woren girl were quiet and gawking at him. The Woren girl was also looking at him, though she looked like she was sizing him up for the fight.  
  
"Dude, she'll kill you!" Bo blurted out, once he saw Fenris's hard stare back at him he amended his statement. "I know your good and all that, but she's faster than my arrows sometimes!" Fenris snorted in derision of the comment, he could take anything the Boss would throw at him.  
  
Fenris heard someone clearing their throat and turned to look down at the diminutive girl. She was probably only five-four, five-five tops. She was also probably ten years his junior as he neared his third decade and she was not even at her second. She was dressed in a sort of cross between a dominatrix corset and armor. It was black leather showing off a curvaceous body that was covered in chainmail to protect her torso. Her arms and shins also had metal plates to protect her.  
  
"Can I help you?" Fenris asked looking down at her. She wouldn't pose a threat to him, the crowd probably liked her since she looked like a whore. A violent whore, but a whore none the less.  
  
"So, you're the great Fenris that I'm supposed to be fighting? You don't look that tough." She said in a purring sort of voice, most Worens had that kind of voice though she seemed to have tried to break it.  
  
"Kid, looks have nothing to do with your opponent. I'll tell you what, if you're still alive after our fight, I'll give you a few pointers on how to win." Fenris said perfectly sincere. The crowd and Cizrai thought that he was being patronizing. The crowd began to mutter to themselves and Cizrai looked ready to knock him off his feet.  
  
Fenris scowled at the people for misinterpreting his comment and turned away, walking back to his room. "Don't turn your back on me you bastard! When we fight, I'll send you crying back home to your momma!" Cizrai shouted at his back. Fenris continued to walk away, he could hear Bo running to catch up with him.  
  
"Hey dude, slow down!" He yelled at walking Fenris. "Do you really think you can beat her?" He asked in the same seething tone he had when he referred to Cizrai last time.  
  
"Yes." Fenris said succinctly.  
  
"Ah dude if you could do that, you'd be the best, not only that, you would have an eternal place in my heart for knocking that Woren down a few pegs." Bo said, returning to his past exuberance.  
  
Fenris stopped and opened the door to his room. "I'll see you some other time, right now, I'm going to bed." Bo smiled and was about to respond except the door got closed in his face by an antisocial Fenris. Fenris got undressed and went to sleep. He didn't dream, he almost never did.  
  
The next few days went by in a flash. Most of the fights in those days barely had any attendance, everyone was talking about the show down between Cizrai and Fenris. Most of the money was on Cizrai and most of the posters advertising for the fight had Cizrai as the main fighter, Fenris was practically fine print. He saw Bo every so often and tried to avoid him or at least dissuade Plainsmen from ever talking to him again. It didn't work.  
  
The day of the fight dawned with iron grey storm clouds looming in the distance. The fight was set for noon, and by that time it would be storming fiercely. *At least I don't have to worry about them using the reflecting walls to incinerate me.* Fenris dressed and made sure everything was in order with the Fight Coordinator, his armor was down there and everything was ready for the fight. Typically Murnab would speak with him before a fight as important as this one but he was uncharacteristically silent.  
  
Noon began to near and Fenris began walking towards the arming room. The people who passed him in the halls taunted and jeered at him but he ignored their slander and kept on walking. Once he got to the arming room and spotted Bo leaning against the wall. "Good luck dude, at least one person will be rooting for you." He said laughing slightly. Fenris nodded in greeting and thanks and walked into the room. He began to dress, this was a big fight because he could hear the crowd from inside of here. The armor came on and then he belted the sword and shield to his arms. Then he began the walk towards the arena, the crowd grew louder and louder, after only a score of steps, he could hear their chants.  
  
"CIZRAI!"  
  
"CIZRAI!"  
  
"CIZRAI!"  
  
"CIZRAI!"  
  
"CIZRAI!"  
  
"CIZRAI!"  
  
On and on the chanting went until he reached the open arena. Rain was just beginning to fall, hard. The water hitting his campana and other armor was loud in his own ears, but not nearly as loud as the overwhelming support the crowd had for the Woren girl. He spotted her across the intervening distance and could see her waving to the crowd even though she was soaking wet.  
  
Fenris began to walk forward through the rain, growing more and more soaked as he progressed. Cizrai started to walk forward too, though at a much slower and haughtier pace. She got within eight feet and smirked at him. The scene could have been comical with her fur drenched and matted to her body, but there was a good chance one of them would die, taking away from any mirth Fenris might have had. The crowd grew silent all of a sudden and Fenris glanced over to see Murnab underneath a blood red canopy getting ready to deliver a speech to the crowd. He rarely did this.  
  
"Spectators! It is a rare occasion in which we are able to see such warriors! That is why it gives me great pleasure to begin this fight and let it once and for all be decided who the champion of this arena is!" Murnab shouted and the crowd roared in excitement. Murnab gestured with his hand and the gong was struck.  
  
The two circled each other, neither wanting to make the first attack. Cizrai had a large spear typically wielded by samnites or centurions. It had a curved blade in front with a cast iron other end piece that could crack skulls. She finally let out a war cry and lunged at him. Fenris batted it aside with his shield and thrust forward with his spear to have it deflected in turn. Cizrai followed through the deflection with a second attack that was caught on his shield. Fenris tried to throw her back and thrust free but she proved much stronger than he thought. He eventually gave up his original ideal and shoved it to the side beginning a series of slashes that were each intercepted by the middle of the staff.  
  
The sword strokes fell with such strength that the wood was beginning to chip away under the blows. After five strokes Cizrai retaliated with two quick strikes with either end of her spear. Each was deflected by sword or shield but the true intent became apparent when she kicked him hard in the chest, sending him sprawling into the sand. Briefly dazed, Fenris saw Cizrai preparing the coup de grace, leaving herself open was just what Fenris needed to get back in the fight. He kicked her hard in the stomach, she let out an explosion of breath before she stumbled backwards. Fenris rolled to his feet and rushed the still reeling Woren. He thrust forward, set to impale her but she dove to the side and rolled back to her feet.  
  
Fenris smiled and unleashed his ace in the hole. He threw his shield out and caught her in the stomach again. Fenris unhooked the chain from his arm and sacrificed his shield for the attack. He also unhooked his campana as it was becoming a bother. The water fell down onto his head for the first time, and the water began to run down his face slightly obscuring his vision. Cizrai was just now getting to her feet, Fenris stopped, not wanting to fall for a leg sweep. Just when he stopped he heard something click beneath him. *Trap!* Fenris jumped back just as a set of giant spears erupted from the ground. "So they decided to spring the traps." Fenris said smiling, he had been in a few other trap battles to get a general idea of where things were.  
  
Cizrai had no such advantage. She had gotten to her feet but was now staring around her, trying to discover the path to take to get to Fenris. She was about to charge around the spikes but stopped after one step when Fenris smiled. She glared at him and went the other way. *I can fool her so easily, she has no idea how the traps are set up.* Fenris waited for Cizrai to almost be around the spikes and then he moved and used them as a buffer. He started to laugh at her from behind the safety of the buffer.  
  
"You fucking coward! You weren't acting so tough when I was winning! Stop running and fight!" Cizrai shouted at him, attempted to catch him as she rushed around the corner again.  
  
"Why waste the energy to fight you when I can lead you into a trap?" Fenris asked still laughing. Cizrai stopped dead at that comment, Fenris seized the moment to jog over and grab his shield. Cizrai was warily stalking towards him, she didn't want to spring another trap though she was sure there was nothing in her way.  
  
Fenris began to walk slowly backwards, circling around and imaginary trap or two, always keeping his eyes upon Cizrai. The closest trap to him was directly to his left, probably only a foot away. Cizrai sneered at him and charged as fast as she could. *She is pretty fast.* Fenris thought as she rushed towards him. Fenris brought back his shield arm and threw it with all his might. She leapt over it nimbly but landed straight into a pit trap.  
  
The entire crowd was shocked, they had never thought that this fight would end like this. Here was one of the best fighters letting the traps do his dirty work. "All too easy." He said simply as he walked over to the pit. He looked down at Cizrai who was nursing what looked like a broken ankle. She glared up at him from the moment she noticed him.  
  
"You bastard! You fucking bastard! Next time we fight I will rip out your intestines and make a new scarf out of them! You here me! Don't you walk away you impotent fuck!" Fenris started laughing at the entire situation. This was the one place where he could let himself be free. He strolled out of the arena amidst the jeers of the audience though here and there he could hear some hands clapping.  
  
He walked casually into the arming room and began to unbuckle his armor, some slave would pick up his items. Once he got into the room he spotted another messenger awaiting him. "Murnab wants to see you in his office as soon as you've removed you armor." He said before he turned on his heel and left.  
  
Fenris unbuckled his armor plates and walked into the hallway to immediately get accosted by Bo. He clapped him hard on the shoulder and began whooping and congratulating him all at once and Fenris was just plain confused.  
  
"Look Bo, I know you're happy for me but I need to talk to Murnab immediately." Fenris said once he was able to get a word in edgewise. Bo sobered up once he heard that name and simply said goodbye before turning around and running off someplace. *Maybe he betted on me.* Fenris thought as he walked towards Murnab's office. Rain water had been collecting on the floor near the windows from the storm.  
  
Once Fenris neared the office he could hear some excited conversation. The door was open slightly which must have meant that Murnab was excited, or that one of slaves got careless. Fenris walked stealthily towards the door and listened intently. Murnab was talking to someone, an assassin from the subject of the conversation.  
  
"I want you to kill that Woren girl, Cizrai is her name I believe. She is staying at the Inn of the Everfull Goblet. Make sure that the death looks like Fenris did it."  
  
That's it. The chapter is finished. I hope you liked it and I'll try to post up the next chapter soon. If you think that this is going to be like the Coliseum part from BoF2, then you're wrong. Murnab's a politician, not evil.  
By the way, its time for the fact of the chapter: Did you know, that gypsies pass on leadership by cutting their left wrist and then mixing the blood with the person who is taking over, he cut his wrist too by the way. Don't you find that fascinating? I do. 


	3. Release

Greetings and salutations, I'm listening to The Vandals and some Uriah Heep, thinking about what I'm going to write next. Hope you like the characters, and I hope you picked on some of those subtle things I slipped in. I also hope that none of you got offended by the language, if you think it should go up in rating then tell me in your reviews. I'm glad you liked the action and if you didn't like it that much, I'm working on the other aspects of the story like dialogue and character stuff.  
  
Chapter Two: Release  
  
Fenris was shocked and surprised by this conversation. He could hear them scuffling about inside and barely straightened up in time for when they came out. The assassin was a plain looking fellow, Fenris probably couldn't have picked him out from the crowd. The perfect assassin. Murnab smiled after the departing figure and then looked towards Fenris. "You did it again my boy!" Murnab said clapping Fenris soundly on the shoulder.  
  
"I guess I did." Fenris said simply, trying not to betray any of the knowledge he had received.  
  
"And you beat her in such a manner that it makes for a prime rematch!" Murnab said excitedly as he poured a glass of wine for the two of them. Fenris took his glass and clinked it with Murnab's, not smiling or making any kind of expression that he normally didn't make.  
  
*What am I supposed to do now? Should I help her, should I just let things be?* Fenris drank deeply from his glass as he pondered over the implications of the situation. "I must beg leave of absence Murnab, I need to get into some dry clothes." Fenris said inclining his head in respect.  
  
Murnab's smile faltered as he looked at him. His eyes narrowed slightly but waved his hand in ascension. Fenris left, walking quickly. He couldn't think of anyone he could talk to. He got to his room and quickly got into the baths. *I hope this'll help.* He thought fervently. Cizrai being dead might have been a good thing for him in the long run, but considering it would like he killed in her cold blood and not the arena... *It doesn't take a genius to know that it would mean mob justice for me.* Fenris jolted up, being struck in the face with sudden realization. It all made sense to him now.  
  
Fenris had to be casual about all of this. If he looked like he was being rash then this entire thing would look extremely bad. He got out of his bath and dried off. He had no idea when the assassin would strike so he had to act quickly and warn Cizrai. He got dressed and walked out of the room. He entered the hallway and walked smack dab into Bo. The Plainsmen smiled down at him. "Hey dude." He said simply.  
  
"Look, Bo, I have a moral question I have to ask you." Fenris said in his always serious tone. He started to walk down the hall and Bo followed.  
  
"Ok I guess, but I'm not the best person to go to. I am here because I stole from my tribe." Bo said chortling slightly.  
  
"I've heard about an assassination attempt, aimed at Cizrai." Fenris was trying to move his lips as little as possible in as low a tone as possible. Bo's ears perked up at hearing that.  
  
"Really? I say let the bitch rot." Bo said with dead seriousness.  
  
"Normally I wouldn't have too much of a problem with it except I will be blamed for it." Fenris replied still using the same methods as he did before.  
  
"I see, I'll help you as much as I can. After all, what are friends for?" Bo said returning to his usual self. They were at the main entrance now and Fenris stopped completely, looking at Bo in a new light.  
  
"Thank you, my friend." Fenris said, clasping the hand of his first and only friend in this pit of war. Fenris jogged out of the coliseum and into the streets of the city. He knew where the inn was, he had been there once before when he had done an assassination job for Murnab long before his gladiatorial debut. He rushed down the roads not bothering to look normal or even incognito.  
  
He had never felt this way before, the excitement of the battle was coming to him again. In his 28 years of life, Fenris could not recall a single moment when he actually cared about a person being protected. He had killed men and women, some young, some old, for ten years and now he was going to keep one from dying. *The irony is delicious.* Fenris thought as he finally found himself outside of the inn where the assassination was to take place.  
  
Now that the moment of truth was upon him he felt a little nervous. *Me nervous? I've fought beasts and warriors for my entire life and now I'm nervous? Pull yourself together Fenris! You're not going to fall to pieces over some strumpet!* Fenris had gathered his resolve and decided to just bust into the inn. The entire crowd quieted for a moment while they checked him out, not many of them recognized him without any of the armor or weapons they typically saw him with. Fenris spotted Cizrai sitting in a corner by herself tearing the cloth napkin at the table while a half empty tankard of beer was beside her.  
  
Fenris walked in quickly, his shoes hitting the floor loudly in his own ears. He finally reached the table and looked down at her. Her short red hair was unkempt right about now. "Cizrai, I need to talk to you." Fenris said quietly.  
  
She looked up at him with such intense hate that Fenris backed up slightly. "What could you possibly have to say to me?" Cizrai's voice dripped with venom as she spat out those words. Fenris knew things were going to go quickly downhill from here, but he still had to try.  
  
"Someone's trying to kill you." Fenris answered simply pulling out a chair and sitting down.  
  
"Gee, that's new. I'm only a gladiator, people wanting to kill me is a completely unheard of experience." She replied with biting sarcasm.  
  
"Cut the sarcasm, I mean that someone is going to kill you here at some point and make it look like I did it." Fenris was getting impatient since Cizrai seemed belligerent and unwilling to take any of his advice.  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about? Is this some sort of trick? Do you think I'm stupid?" Cizrai was yelling at him by now, she was standing up, attracting the attention of the entire inn. *At least the assassins will have a harder time at it.*  
  
Fenris grabbed her by the shoulder and brought her only a few inches from his face, he could smell the alcohol coming off her breath as he looked into her green, hate filled eyes. "Think about it, if you're killed then the first person on the list is me. Then, after Murnab throws me to the mob the two most powerful gladiators are gone and then he can select a more manageable slave to train into his special protégé." Fenris threw her back into her seat and she just stared at him with both contempt and calculation.  
  
Just as she was about to reply the inn keeper walked over to them. "I want you two to leave, your yelling is upsetting the other customers." He pointed for them to go out the side door. Cizrai was already complying though she was swearing up a storm all the while. Fenris couldn't help but feel that he had seen that guy before. As he stepped out into the alleyway it hit him. *The assassin!*  
  
Fenris got out in time just to see five armed guards from the coliseum smirking at him and the now grappled Cizrai. She was struggling vainly to get free but the half-nelson kept her from getting away. Fenris drew his fists up and prepared himself for a fight. "Catching the two of you together will play well in the coliseum rumors." One of the guards said chuckling at the prospect.  
  
Fenris didn't give any of them time to pull any moves on him. He slugged the one holding Cizrai first. He could feel bone breaking underneath his fist. A second opponent swung his sword at Fenris. He ducked under it and slammed his fist into the guard's stomach before grabbing his sword and kicking the guard back, keeping the sword. Fenris finished the combo by running the guard through before turning to the next adversary.  
  
The remaining guards all charged him recklessly. *They practically lined themselves up for me.* Fenris thought gripping his sword more tightly. The first one was eviscerated in an upward swing that was brought down to crack the skull of his second opponent. Fenris spun around from that attack and ripped his final opponent's stomach open, spilling out its contents. Fenris turned away from the three dead guards and faced the final one, lying on his back with blood covering his face. Cizrai was standing their, looking pissed and minutely thankful at the same time.  
  
Fenris transfixed the final guard with the sword and left it there. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I listened in to that conversation." Fenris commented looking at the dead guards and then back to Cizrai. "So, do you have any ideas?"  
  
"Well, I was going to go to sleep until I realized that people wanted me dead. Do you have any ideas?" She retorted sharply.  
  
"As a matter of fact I do, Bo is right now working on helping me out. How I don't know, and what we do from there I have no clue, but for now, lets go find Bo." Fenris replied dusting his hands and walking out of the alley.  
  
"I can't believe I'm going along with this fucked up escapade with the bastard and the son of a bitch." Cizrai muttered, not entirely to herself, she wanted Fenris to hear it too.  
  
"You could at least be a little thankful for my good deeds." Fenris said still focusing upon the road, looking for any other guards. The assassin would probably get word to Murnab before Fenris got there.  
  
"Oh come off it! You only saved me because it would look bad for you!" Cizrai certainly did seem to have a firm grip on the matter despite mitigating circumstances.  
  
"True, but I did the right thing nonetheless. And that counts for a lot." Fenris, always the pragmatic, replied keeping up his strolling pace. He could see the entrance to the coliseum more clearly now, but more important, he could see high-tailing it out of there. He had a pack on his back and was running like he had a whole series of whips trying to hit him. "Look, there's Bo now." Fenris pointed him out and stopped to wait for his friend. *That still feels kind of odd.*  
  
Bo arrived breathing quickly, he looked really winded. "I got our stuff from the arming room." Bo panted out. He straightened himself up after inhaling a huge amount of air in and then letting it out explosively. "The guards are already mustering themselves to go out after us." Bo said quickly, handing a bundle to Fenris, Cizrai was still in her armor.  
  
"Well then, we need to get out of the city all that much faster." Fenris said strapping his sword around his waist. He and Bo began to walk quickly towards the city gates when Cizrai yelled at them to stop.  
  
"What about me? You think you bastards can just leave me here?" Cizrai had grabbed both of them by the back of their shirts and was keeping them from moving any farther.  
  
"Well, since I'm a bastard and Bo here is a son of a bitch, I naturally assumed that you didn't want to keep company with us." Fenris said, disentangling himself from her grip.  
  
"But I got her..." Bo started to talk but Fenris elbowed him hard in the stomach.  
  
"We'll leave you your spear and the rest is up to you." Fenris continued, taking the spear from Bo and tossing it to the Woren. She caught it deftly and looked ready to use it on the two of them. Bo looked like he would want that to happen. Fenris turned around again and began to walk towards the city's gate. Bo followed him but still looked back at Cizrai a few times.  
  
"Dude, aren't you afraid that she'll, ya know, take her revenge?" Bo asked as they walked quickly towards the gates. Both kept an eye out for guards but no one armed seemed ready to leap out at them. Right now they were just moving their way through the crowds.  
  
"Well, if she were human, yeah. But from my understanding of the Worens they typically don't go about killing the one who they owe a debt to. She may be different, and if she is, I'll kill her when she tries." Fenris answered with his renowned cold-bloodedness.  
  
"Man your cold!" Bo said with a mix between amusement and shock. The two continued on in silence. The crowds basically moved away from them, no one really wanted to get in the way of two armed men right now. After ten minutes of their brisk pace they reached the gates and the guards in between them and their freedom. Fenris stared impassively at the guards while he pulled his sword out, Bo had already knocked his bow and was waiting for the guards to make the first move.  
  
The guards seemed to have their own reservations about fighting the two of them. Bo decided not to let them pluck up enough courage and let loose his first arrow. The shaft pierced the guard through the eye and he fell down in a heap. The remaining nine guards charged the two of them. Another stumbled to a halt when an arrow pierced him in the chest.  
  
Two more guards fell by the time the remainder reached Fenris who had interposed himself between Bo and the guards. The first one impaled himself upon Fenris's sword and Fenris had to kick him off before he could face the next one. That cost him precious seconds and he was put upon the defensive.  
  
He blocked several different attacks by several different guards which again and again prevented him from going on the offensive. Fenris saw an opening and slammed his forehead into the face of one of his attackers. Fenris was slightly dazed but the guard was out cold. Fenris followed through with an upwards arcing slice, cutting down the guard to his left. He spun and brought the sword down to dismember the sword arm of his right opponent and then cutting laterally with his sword.  
  
Bo had been covering Fenris this entire time and the remaining guards had been killed with swift arrow work. "Come on." Fenris said stooping to kill the one guard he had just knocked out. The two ran out of the city and into the dense forests surrounding it. They kept on running for another ten minutes before they stopped completely underneath the shade of a giant tree.  
  
Bo sat down letting an explosive sigh out. Fenris was still running on adrenaline and stood. He opened his pack to find all of his armor shined impeccably. "Thanks for getting my stuff." Fenris said shooting a glance over at the heavily breathing Plainsmen. Bo just nodded and continued to catch his breath. Fenris began to put his armor back on. It felt good to have those steel plates protecting him again.  
  
His armor on, Fenris began to pace about. He was anxious, he was still within the reach of Murnab and now he had to make sure that not only he survived, but Bo as well. After five minutes of recuperation, the two were just about ready to leave when they heard some rustling in the bushes. Bo knocked an arrow and Fenris pulled his sword out again. The rustling got closer until Cizrai's head appeared. Bo still had his bow knocked but Fenris put his sword away and crossed his arms, waiting for her explanation.  
  
"Decided to join up with us eh?" Fenris asked leaning against the tree. Cizrai glowered at him like she had never glowered before, everything else that was a glower might as well have been her smiling.  
  
"Yes." She replied the way that word sounded was almost painful to hear. "I still owe you for back at the inn." She added very softly. Fenris knew she said something but he couldn't quite figure it out.  
  
"Okay then, so what next? We've just escaped from slavery and now we're on the run from slave catchers and gladiator guards." Fenris was still leaning against the tree and looked from Cizrai to Bo. He had never been out of slavery so the idea of choosing was kind of odd for him.  
  
Bo was the first one to speak up on the matter. "If we start heading west right now we'll reach the Scar River. From my understanding of the geography, there's a Ranger outpost along the river but I'm not sure how far away it is actually. Anyways, the Ranger's are against slavery and would probably help us out."  
  
Fenris nodded at the idea, he had heard of the Rangers somewhat over the course of his life. He might have fought one or two when he was still in Janabis' army. Cizrai was also nodding at the idea though she still glared at the two of them slightly.  
  
"Good, we can reach the river by nightfall." Bo said started off going west. Fenris just shrugged his shoulders and followed the Plainsmen. Cizrai followed too but she didn't look happy about it. *Come to think of it, I don't think she's capable of happiness.* Fenris thought with some amusement.  
  
They walked for hours along the forest. None of them talked too much. Bo hated Cizrai, Cizrai hated both of them, and Fenris was still getting used to the idea of being free. All of them kept their eyes out for signs of being followed but they didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. They continued walking well into the night. It wasn't until they heard the sound running water that they knew they had reached their goal. The moon was not out tonight and the stars shone down weakly at the trio of runaways. Fenris began to unbuckle his armor and toss it to the ground. Bo didn't wear armor and Cizrai seemed to be surgically attached to hers the way it stuck on.  
  
Bo went looking for some firewood while Fenris went over to look at the river. He hadn't seen a river running in about eight years. The river was about fifteen feet below him in a ravine of sorts. The water sounded so nice at this time of night. In fact, it was one of the few things he could hear in the dead silence that enveloped him. He heard Bo behind him carrying some firewood and turned around to see him drop it in this big pile.  
  
Fenris had a vague idea of how to start a fire but he rarely did so since his days he was in the army. He stepped over to the fire watching Bo look around him for anything he could start a fire with. "I have some flint." Fenris said simply before he began to strike a few sparks over the grass to get the fire ready. Pretty soon the fire was in a nice little blaze and the three were sitting around it, staring into the flames. "I wish we had thought to bring some food." Fenris said after feeling his stomach gnawing at him. The other two murmured in general agreement but didn't say much. *Bo is out of character, usually he can't shut up.* Fenris thought as he stared at the fire.  
  
The night seemed to drag on forever. Cizrai fell asleep and curled up into a fetal position with her back to the fire. Bo finally decided to speak up once the Woren was asleep. "Fenris, I was wondering. Since we're going to be traveling together, what's your story?" Bo asked looking at him from across the fire. Fenris was a little surprised, he had never really thought about his past. He remembered it, what it taught him and what it made him, but he never really gave it any serious thought.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll start with my first memory. I was chained to a group of other people, I couldn't have been older than ten. All of the people in the line had a mark on their right shoulder blade. It was the image of a skull, burned into them. I could feel a burning pain on my right shoulder blade too, signifying that I had the mark as well. I looked over to my left and saw a big man with a whip yelling at all the people. He turned to look at me but I returned to looking at the person in front of me again. We marched for hours at the same plodding pace from sun up to sun down for what seemed like weeks.  
  
My memory blanks a little at this part but the next thing I remember is being in a dorm with possibly a hundred other people, most were probably near my age but a few were much older and covered in scars. I soon learned that I was going to be in the slave army of Janabis. You might have heard of him. My memory skips around again.  
  
The next key moment in my memory is when I first killed someone. I was probably fifteen at the time. I had been training for five years with this boy, he had slept in the bunk right next to mine and I had killed him. I distinctly remember not feeling anything other than impatience, impatience at the boy for being too slow on the parry, impatience that I had to kill someone who was a slave for Janabis. I thought that I might have been punished for killing the property but I was rewarded for my actions. I was trained harder at this point.  
  
I'm glossing over some of my memories, they didn't really mean much to me other than the lessons they told me. I learned to fight better than anyone else they told me. I was eighteen when Janabis used too much power and got himself killed. I was a lieutenant at that point. I had surpassed all expectations and had become what my trainers had wanted: A remorseless, unstoppable, fighter.  
  
Well, I was still a slave when Janabis kicked the bucket so I got sold to some guy who was interested in turning a profit. So I arrived at the games. After my first five fights Murnab bought me and turned me into his personal assassin, gladiator, and body guard. That's what it has been like for my life." Fenris finished up his story to the stunned Bo.  
  
"I had no idea. So this must be a novel experience for you, being free and all?" Bo asked reclining slightly.  
  
"I suppose." Fenris answered, going onto his back and looking up at the stars. Bo didn't ask anything more for the night and it wasn't long before Fenris was asleep. A dreamless ten hours later and he awoke to find himself not in his room at the coliseum, but out in the open, with the sounds of the Scar River behind him. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and found Bo and Cizrai arguing heatedly a few feet away. Cizrai was being particularly shrill at this point and Fenris was surprised he hadn't woken up sooner with all this commotion. Stood up and stretched out still watching the two argue.  
  
"...I don't care if you want food! My arrows were meant for people, I can't hunt with these kinds of arrows!" Bo yelled at Cizrai who was swishing her tail in anger.  
  
"Dammit I don't care if you have to make your own arrows right now, get me some God damned food!" Cizrai shouted pulling the tall Plainsman down to eye level. Fenris had finished strapping on his armor and was looking at the two amusedly. That is, at least until he heard some twig snapping.  
  
His body tensed immediately and he looked over at the spot where he heard the sound, all he could see was dense foliage. The trees swayed minutely in the breeze, he couldn't pick up any unusual odors or sounds on the wind. "Would you two mind quieting down?" Fenris asked quietly. He was mildly surprised that they heard him.  
  
"Why?" They asked in perfect unison.  
  
"Because, you two are creating enough noise for anyone within a mile to hear." Fenris replied going back to his old voice. The two looked at him, then each other, and then at the surrounding forest before they both nodded their assent. "I don't know what we can do about food but by this evening, we'll eat." Fenris said, not knowing if he could back it up in any way, as long as it kept them quiet.  
  
The three began to walk again, all were hungry but there wasn't much they could do about it now. Fenris was more concerned with making it to this evening than about actually eating. The forest thinned as they plodded along. Fenris was trying to keep a look out in every direction and as a direct result, he trailed the other two who were bickering again, but much quieter. It was probably about noon when they stopped again. It was beginning to be difficult for all three of them to carry on in their present state of hunger.  
  
They had stopped in a moderately large clearing which was similar to a knoll which dropped sharply into the river behind it. The river was still ten to fifteen feet below them at the present stop so water was out of the picture. The sun was beating down on them and Fenris, in his campana, was shaded and being scorched at the same time as the metal grew hotter and hotter. It was beginning to become unbearable even with the padding supposed to prevent it. Fenris pulled the hat off and rubbed his hair back, feeling sweat moisten his fingers.  
  
Fenris stood up and was about to tell the other two it was time to go when the campana he was holding was suddenly shot off his head. Fenris looked into the cover of the trees and saw them, a handful of orcs. The bastardized race that was sometimes used in gladiator fights much to the amusement of the crowd. More were creeping out of the cover of the forest and started to advance on him. Fenris looked around for Bo and Cizrai but could find neither.  
  
"Your friends aren't going to help you against these odds." One said in a guttural voice. Fenris's eyes hardened in anger. The orc was moving closer. It held a morning star in its paw and was gripping it tightly. Orcs always fought better when the odds were on their side. More orcs were beginning to surround Fenris as he continued to stand scanning for any signs of his friends. "Bo! Cizrai!" He shouted, waiting for them to answer.  
  
"Go ahead in cry out for help." The original orc spoke again, laughing in derision. Fenris narrowed his gaze unto that orc. He was alone again, for one brief time he thought he had friends but it was ripped away. He was alone. *Fine then! I survived the Pit! I survived the arena! I did it all alone! I don't need some fucking turncoat to watch my back!* Fenris thought pulling his sword out and looking at the orcs. They had stopped five feet away from him and were waiting for the signal to attack.  
  
"I don't need help." Fenris intoned quietly. With those words he lashed out against his enemies. Numbers would not help them now. He struck down the orc who spoke and then spun around to cut the legs from underneath the one to his left. Fenris reversed the blade and impaled the orc directly behind him before kicking it back into its fellows. Another pretentious opponent charged him and was decapitated for his foolishness. The orcs surrounding him all rushed in at once.  
  
Fenris fought on, sometimes he flowed with skill and grace casually cutting down his foolish opponents. Sixteen years of fighting all boiled down to a senseless brawl over his own freedom. But his training began to falter, the desertion of his "friends" hit him hard and anger was boiling inside of him. Anger and fear, for now he was free, he had gained his freedom and now, if he died, everything that he once would have enjoyed would be taken away from him again just as it was when he was captured and put into slavery. His form faltered, he no longer attacked his opponents with skill but hacked at them. His anger fueling his swings and cleaves, he dropped his shield and began raining blows down with both hands. A raised shield, a defending weapon, an upturned arm, all gave way before his mindless hacks and cleaves.  
  
The fray came to an abrupt halt. Fenris stood in the middle of dozens of dead bodies. Scores more of orcs were waiting, like jackals at a wounded enemy. Fenris began to feel blood trickling down his body. His armor had been pierced in several locations and blood was welling up and out of the rents made in it.  
  
"Is that it? Is that all that Murnab could send at me? A bunch of orcs!" Fenris was yelling at them, the bitterness left inside of him made him want to fight still. His body was worn out but his hat still raged inside of him. The orcs backed away slightly, they looked at him before turning back behind them as if seeking reassurance. Fenris followed their gaze, and saw a man knocking an arrow back.  
  
The arrow was let loose. It flew from the bow and into the air, hunting for Fenris's life. Fenris could only stare, his reactions were dulled by his fatigue. He tried in vain to twist his body out of the way but it was too little too late. Fenris inhaled sharply as the shaft thunked into his body. Pain caused him to stagger backwards as he tried in vain to breath. The arrow had pierced him at the side of his throat, almost at the juncture between shoulder and neck.  
  
He was staggering backwards, memories flashed in front of him. The orcs were no longer the gangrel creatures of before, but the victims of his blade. Each smiled at his death, some were laughing at the scene, and he could hear the crowd cheering in the background. They were laughing, at him, laughing at the way he died. Laughing at how the mighty Fenris was laid low by a single arrow. Fenris took another step back only to find that he had run out of ground. He slipped off the edge and began to plummet into the Scar River.  
  
The last thing he remembered seeing was a pair of eyes.  
  
* * *  
  
That's it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope its cliff hanging enough for you folks out there. Its time again for fact of the chapter: Did you know that nemo, is Latin for no one. Think about that for a minute, which means that "Finding Nemo" is actually "Finding No One". Boggles the mind, doesn't it? 


	4. That Sounds Like a Good Identity

OK, this chapter comes with me updating my last ones. I'm still working on refining my dialogue, I only hope that it's gotten better but I think it's probably remained about the same, quality wise. I hope I've kept you guessing as to what's going to happen next. I think that you think, that what I did was cliché, and I think that your thinking, isn't unfounded. Ignore some of the words being misspelled because that's probably dealing with the dialect.  
  
Chapter Three: That Sounds Like a Good Identity  
  
A small waterfall created an almost musical crash as it fell into the  
  
river below it. The beach was covered in small rocks with the occasional boulder jutting out from the ground. A forest surrounded the waterfall, quartering off the noise it made and created a secluded clearing that seemed to exemplify the serenity of nature. But all of that serenity came to a shattering close.  
  
A large amount of rustling could be heard coming through the forest.  
  
A large creature was barreling through, snapping branches and tearing through the underbrush. A moment later a frightened human in a billowing green cloak burst out of the forest and into the clearing. The man was fairly tall, reaching about six feet, he was unarmed and breathing heavily. He kept his hood up as he hurriedly shot glances back into the forest behind him. His shoulders rose and fell as he kept on breathing deeply and walked slowly towards the water. He pulled a waterskin out of his belt and dipped it into the stream before bringing it up to his lips and swallowing in huge gulps.  
  
He turned around to look at the forest again, the clearing was quiet except for the waterfall crashing in the background. The man turned around  
  
again and was halfway bent over to fill the waterskin again when he noticed  
  
a dead body that had just floated up onto shore. The body was covered in expensive looking armor that had great rents torn in it, the man had an arrow protruding from his neck and looked like he had been dead for quite some time. "Hmm, I think I know this guy." The hooded man commented squatting down to inspect the body more closely. His voice had a sort of innate arrogance to it but also an air of nonchalance.  
  
The cloaked man pulled the man out of the water and held the face a mere inches before his before recognition set in. "It's that gladiator, Fenror, Fenras, Fenris! Yeah, that's the ticket." The cloaked man snapped his fingers at the revelation, that snap however was followed by a much louder snap from behind him. The body was dropped and the man sprang to his feet. His right hand went straight to his left side as if he expected there to be a sword.  
  
"You there! What are you doing?" Another cloaked man was standing at the edge of the forest holding a longbow in his hands. He had blond hair going down to his shoulder and had a vine covered sword insignia  
  
on his left shoulder, the sign of a Ranger.  
  
"Oh, I was just getting something to drink when I saw this dead body floating down the river." The hooded man answered in a deep voice, trying to mask his real voice. He had raised his hands in the air slightly and to the side. The blond haired ranger started to walk forward, he had put up his bow and was now unarmed though his left hand hovered near his sword.  
  
"I'm looking for a deadly mercenary. He was last spotted in this area and I was wondering if you had seen him recently. He happens to have blue hair." The Ranger's voice was of a clarion tone and rang sweetly in the ears of many a person, but the hooded fellow, for a visible shudder coursed through his body.  
  
"Blue hair you say? This fellow happens to have blue hair." The cloaked man nudged the body with his foot and stepped over slightly to obscure the view of the head. The ranger threw any signs of caution to the  
  
winds and rushed forward, shoving the cloaked figure to the side.  
  
"This man doesn't have blue hair!" He shouted out indignantly as he tried to turn around and face the hooded man. Two strong hands grasped the  
  
man's head in mid turn.  
  
"I do believe your right, it's more of a black color." The arrogant voice was back in place.  
  
"Gods above its-" CRACK! The hooded man had twisted the rangers head violently to the right, effectively breaking his neck, the hooded man  
  
was pretty strong for a relatively thin frame. The body was left to fall on top of the other. The hooded man bent over and unbuckled the sword belt around the Ranger's waist.  
  
"Poor, predictable Aleric, you never were one to think things through." The hooded man was laughing slightly at the dead body. He pushed his hood back and revealed his own dark blue hair. It looked like might once have been long but had recently been cut very short with what was most likely a knife. A scraggly version of a goatee was beginning to cover his chin but this outcropping of hair was black with only a slight hint of blue. His green eyes surveyed the rest of the clearing as a smirk played out among his face.  
  
The blue haired man now assumed a more confident air and began to stride back into the forest now that he was armed. He began to backtrack along his own beaten path and the one made by Aleric. The Rangers always hunted in packs and the others should have been around somewhere.  
  
* * *  
  
Mezzryn looked forward, deep into the jungle displayed before him. He could make out Aleric's path but his friend had been gone for over in hour in the foolish pursuit of an old enemy. "I'm going to go look for him, stay here and watch for the Kuriks." Mezzryn shouted back to his third partner. Mezzryn shifted his chain shirt on his large frame and set off into the woods at a feverish pace. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and every ranger knew that gut feelings had an ugly habit of coming to fruition.  
  
Mezzryn had hustled through the forest for possibly ten minutes when he heard the sound of someone whistling. It was a drinking song Mezzryn remembered from his days at the siege of Chorden. He could only think of one other person who would know a song like that. "Ryu." He whispered out the name like some would whisper a foul curse that was never meant to be spoken by any living man.  
  
Mezzryn ducked behind a tree and peered out into the semi-dense foliage looking for his quarry. After a few tense seconds Ryu came into view. He had cut his hair and grown a goatee to throw off most hunters. But that swagger, that air of bombast, the very aura around him made him immediately identifiable to Mezzryn. His memory jumped straight to the moment when he first met this pathetic excuse for a human. It was during the Urgothian Civil War. Chorden was a stepping stone to the capitol, an easy fight with the Rangers and the mercenaries procured by the rebel forces. Ryu was just a hotshot swordsman at the time. He and Mezzryn had immediately gotten along, they had both fought at the bridge into the city and held it together. Mezzryn thought that Ryu would have been among the best Rangers and had told him as much. Unfortunately, a mercenary's loyalty is to money.  
  
They had just taken the walls of the city, most of the enemy forces had been driven back and were holed up inside of the castle. Mezzryn had been looking for Ryu, wanting to congratulate him and offer him a job in the Rangers, but when he found him, he also found the Ranger Guildmaster and his advisors dead. Ryu was leaning against the crenellations, whistling the same tune he is now, and just smiling at the carnage that was about to ensue. Mezzryn had tried to kill Ryu but had just gotten thrown off the wall for his efforts, it was a miracle he had survived, but now, he lived for the sole purpose of killing the oath breaker.  
  
Ryu must have spotted him in the bushes for he soon called out to him. "By jings! If it ain't Mezzryn, I haven't seen you in what must be a  
  
year by now." Ryu said moving over to the bush where Mezzryn was still crouched behind.  
  
Mezzryn snarled in anger and stood straight up with his sword pulled out in one fluid motion. The clear ring of the steel being freed from its trappings hung about them for one agonizing second. Ryu's surprised smile reverted back into a bemused grin at his old ally. "Still mad about Chorden eh?" He asked, rocking onto his heels and then forward again.  
  
"Is that all you can say for yourself? You, who single handedly, caused our defeat, you who placed that despot back on the throne, you who broke your word to me and my friends. Is that all you can say!" Mezzryn was shouting at him by now. Flecks of spit rained out of his mouth as he yelled at the one man he had wanted dead like no other. Ryu had raised an eyebrow questioningly but still stood still with his hands clasped behind his back.  
  
Mezzryn's face twisted in rage as he beheld that arrogant bastard smirking at him, his green eyes alight with merriment. Mezzryn charged forward letting out a fierce warcry and swung at Ryu. In an almost blurred  
  
movement Ryu's sword was brought up to block Mezzryn's charge. Mezzryn pushed with all his strength to try and force the mercenary back. Ryu simply held his ground, and smiled down at the shorter ranger. "You should have known better than to have attacked me." He admonished, his words reeking of bombast.  
  
Mezzryn shoved the man backwards and brought his sword up into defense. Ryu stood in the same spot and kept his sword at his side. "C'mon Mezzryn, there's no need for us to be enemies. We're the best swordsmen in the area, we should go into business together, and it'd be like old times." Ryu said jovially. Mezzryn spat at those words and rushed forward again, coming in low. "Have it your way." Ryu sighed. He seemed almost reluctant to kill him.  
  
Ryu intercepted the sword with his own blade, still held in one hand.  
  
He slammed his elbow into the face of his opponent, he could feel bone crunching underneath the blow. Mezzryn staggered backwards as blood started to course out of his nose. Ryu followed through his bone shattering elbow with a strong kick into Mezzryn's stomach. Mezzryn doubled over in pain before Ryu nudged him slightly and he fell back onto the ground, his supine form looking up into the face of his most hated enemy. He could see  
  
Aleric's sword clenched in his gauntleted hand. Ryu noticed his gaze and nodded. "Yeah, I killed him. He was always too rash." Ryu commented on the departed Ranger. Ryu planted his boot firmly on Mezzryn's chest and pressed down. Mezzryn could begin to feel himself being crushed and started to labor for his breath.  
  
"Why did you do it?" He panted out, each word felt like it was being  
  
pushed through a crack in a wall.  
  
"What kill Aleric?" Ryu looked perplexedly down at his opponent. "Oh, you mean: 'Why did I kill your leaders back at Chorden?' Well to be perfectly honest, it wasn't really about money. I got paid for doing it and its not like the money hurt my motives, but that wasn't the reason I killed them." Ryu leaned in very close to the still laboring Mezzryn. "The actual reason I killed them was for the sheer joy of it all. Knowing that I single handedly ruined someone's chance at victory as well as knowing that I was better than any of the Rangers. That was the real pay off for me." Ryu was a mere inch away from the bloody and battered Mezzryn. Ryu pulled back and was preparing his sword for the final thrust when he dealt the final blow to Mezzryn.  
  
"It's a shame about your partners. The girl was a real beauty." Ryu  
  
taunted his fallen opponent. The words cause Mezzryn to make one last rage filled attempt at his life but the sword that had been thrust into his chest forced him to stay where he was. Ryu slid the weapon out of his now dead adversary. He hadn't the slightest idea of whether or not Mezzryn's partner were good looking or not, it just seemed like the kind of thing that would ruin someone's last moments in this realm. Ryu wiped the sword clean on the corpse's cloak before he sheathed it and began strolling leisurely through the woods, whistling as if he didn't have a care in the world.  
  
Ryu continued moving in such a fashion until his own music began to mingle with that of another's. He couldn't quite place the tune but it didn't sound like it was a man whistling it. *Must be Mezzryn's third partner.* Ryu thought stopping his own whistling as he began to walk stealthily over towards the music. He eventually neared the music, it was near another clearing in the woods. Ryu slunk over to a tree and peered out from its trunk to get a lay of the land.  
  
His optical orbs were treated with the sight of a very comely lass, she was facing him though her head was looking off in another direction. *You lucked out Mezzryn, well I guess it balances out now that your dead.* She was a sight to behold, wavy blond hair at about shoulder length framed a very pretty face. Her forehead was crinkled as she was frowning off at a distant object, her blue eyes seemed angry but maybe it was something else.  
  
*A pretty face is all well and good, but the torso is where the action is at.* Ryu thought as his eyes wandered down onto her more southern regions.  
  
She was wearing a leather cuirass that covered up a moderate bust. *Not bad, certainly pert enough.* His eyes went a little farther down, she was a  
  
petite specimen, her cuirass tapered off in a skirt, kilt, whatchamakalit. Ryu didn't know the right word for it, Ryu didn't need to know the right word for it, all that he needed to know was that it looked good. His eyes went down  
  
further to examine her tanned legs that were semi covered with a pair of boots.  
  
Ryu's eyes were going up her body again for one last examination when, as he reached the top, he locked eyes with the Ranger whom he had been ogling. She was glowering at him with a look that would have rivaled Mezzryn's hate-filled eyes. She was leveling a crossbow at him so Ryu figured now was the time to step out from behind the tree. He raised his hands in a general symbol of surrender. In the girl's haste she let her bolt fire. THUNK! Ryu's eyes flashed straight to the projectile implanted a mere inch from his face. "I certainly hope that was good aim." Ryu said bemusedly. He looked back to the girl and flashed a winning smile, he was hoping to charm her off her feat, get in a quick lay, and then continue with his travels.  
  
"I don't miss twice, whoever the hell you are, I want you to explain why you were spying on me and where the hell my partners are!" She had reloaded her crossbow and was aiming at him.  
  
Ryu started to walk forward as he explained, he didn't get closer than ten feet, he kept pacing as he went along fabricating a suitable story. "Well, I am a Ranger from the town of. . . Bellavurn. We had just formed a Guild  
  
there and I was coming over here to send a message to your Guild about us."  
  
Ryu said as he paced, he made sure not to look her in the eye but glance pointedly at her crossbow. She seemed to be mulling over his explanation while he continued to pace his eyes going from the crossbow to her chest.  
  
"That still doesn't fully explain why you were spying on me." She said after several moments of consideration, her finger inched nearer the trigger and Ryu began to work on some more lies.  
  
"Well, the thing about that is, um..." Ryu was saved from having to make up another fallacy because at that precise moment, the Ranger's real reason for being in the area reared its ugly head. A series of war trumpets started sounding in the forest around them. Ryu quickly turned to spot a cluster of Kuriks barreling out of the forest. Kuriks are a cross between orcs and humans, they were better warriors than most orcs but they made lousier troops than most mercenaries. *Saved by the freaks of nature.* Ryu thought  
  
letting out an explosive sigh. He pulled out Aleric's sword and leveled it at his opponents.  
  
They rushed without any real sense of strategy, they were going to try and overwhelm him and the Ranger. The girl fired off her bolt into the chest of the prominent Kurik and it stumbled to the ground whimpering in pain. The remaining eight Kuriks split up and attacked both Ryu and the girl at the same time. Ryu wasted no time in cutting through the axe haft of a defending Kurik before following through with an upwards stroke clove through the beasts head. Ryu spun to his left coming in low, cutting deep into the stomach of his second opponent. His third opponent brought its axe up, ready for an overhead stroke. Ryu's sword was presently entertaining the fourth creature so Ryu had no choice but to punch out with his left hand. The punch went straight for the throat, effectively crushing the wind pipe beneath the force.  
  
Ryu brought the same fist to bear in a left hook, knocking the Kurik down. Ryu stabbed the falling beast before spinning around and charging off towards the Kuriks surrounding the girl. Only two were left as she was  
  
strafing the two left. Ryu simply charged and impaled one of them from  
  
behind, he ripped his sword out of its flesh sheath and brought it down in a crushing blow on the Kurik's skull. Bits of grey matter and blood spattered onto the face of Ryu as he pulled his sword away from what was once the skull of a Kurik. Ryu cast a glance over at the Ranger chick to see if she  
  
was doing anything that would affect him when he noticed three more Kuriks moving into the clearing. These were different, they were better armed for one thing and the one in the center looked more humanoid than most of his race.  
  
The girl had her back to Ryu and he could see two stubby little bird wings coming out of her back. *Holy shit! She's a Windian! That should make things more interesting.* Ryu started to move forward towards the three Kuriks that had just entered the arena. Just as he was about to move closer he was knocked back by full blown realization. The one in the middle had been a partner of his, years back but still a partner. *I can't let him figure out who I am.* Ryu thought desperately. The Windian however had taken matters into her own hands. Her eyes were closed in concentration and one of her hands was raised. Just as the lead Kurik was about to say Ryu's name a ball of lightning issued forth from the Windian's out stretched hand, it engulfed the beasts and the resultant crash of thunder almost drowned out their screams of agony.  
  
Ryu walked quickly over to the three bodies, the one who he knew was still alive, barely, but alive enough to ruin everything. He turned his head slightly to look at Ryu. "You..." His final words were muffled by the sword piercing his throat.  
  
"Speak up, I couldn't quit hear you." Ryu admonished quietly. "I don't have time for your lies you wretched beast!" Ryu said loudly enough for his words to carry over to the girl. He looked over at her as she began to walk cautiously over towards the four of them. Ryu wiped his sword and face off on one of the cloaks of the dead Kuriks. She was finally right next to him and Ryu got his first really good look at her, she was short, probably not much taller than five feet. Her features were only more accentuated this close to him. Her crossbow was no longer pointing at him but was down at her side, she was still capable of blasting him with magic, but it was a small victory.  
  
Her eyes went slowly from the bodies to Ryu, "I guess introductions are in order. My name is Nina, and you are?" She asked, extending her hand for him to shake. Ryu took it in his own, after he had removed his glove. It was nice with a supple kind of way about it. She had calluses showing the signs of hard work, but was still soft.  
  
"The name's Fenris."  
* * *  
  
There it is. Sorry about it being late and all. I just had so much to do and not enough inspiration or motive to write this. I just want to say that I created this Ryu because I was tired of all the kind and compassionate ones  
  
running about. I wanted one that was unique, and a bastard. His views don't necessarily reflect mine in case you're wondering. It would be nice if you reviewed. A brief suggestion, the band The Darkness has got a catchy song known as 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love.' Its catchy, the music video is cool, and I like it.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that the average handshake exerts about 90 pounds of pressure? Fascinating, don't you think? 


	5. That's What Rangers Do

OK, here goes yet another chapter. I'm starting to dislike fan- fiction.net because it doesn't really allow me to make any kind of formatting changes to my stories, I have to manually double space and center my stories, that's pretty annoying. That and the whole, 'I'm not allowed to italicize or bold my font.' Other than that I think my stories coming along quite nicely, don't you agree?  
  
Also, a million thanks to those who reviewed my story, the last two finally gave me the emotion you humans call hope.  
  
Chapter Four: That's What Rangers Do  
  
It was in the forests surrounding the Scar River that the Conqueror of Chorden, the Betrayer at Brusten, and the most wanted man by the Rangers was walking along, chatting amiably with a member of the Ranger guild. Ryu had to admit that stealing Fenris' identity was one of the best ideas he ever had. Here he had an opportunity to make it with what was possibly the only female Windian outside of the Windia.  
  
*She's a pretty smart girl, I would have thought she would have figured it out by now.* Ryu thought as he was laughing at an amusing anecdote she had told about Mezzryn. "That sounds like the Mezzryn I knew." Ryu laughed a little harder as he made conversation.  
  
"You knew Mezzryn?" Nina asked, her face going from amusement to dead seriousness. Ryu immediately regretted having mentioned anything about knowing Mezzryn. *Looks like its time to lie again.* Ryu thought letting out an internal sigh.  
  
"I was a mercenary at the Battle of Chorden, not assigned to the group that led the assault but a reserve battalion. I was the one who found Mezzryn outside the walls and I carried him to safety." Ryu explained, he wasn't lying completely, he did carry Mezzryn back to the medical tents but he was also the one who shoved him off. *Better some truth than no truth.* He thought as they had stopped walking. Nina's hand was gripping his arm with vice-like strength, forcing him to stop and answer even more questions that she no doubt had.  
  
"Do you think that he and Aleric are OK?" Nina asked, tightening her already astounding grip on his arm.  
  
Wincing slightly as he spoke, "They should be fine. Mezzryn's a good man to have in a fight and I'm sure Aleric's the same. They're probably already at the Ranger's Base by now." Ryu said kindly, gently disengaging her hand from his arm. Nina took in a deep breath and went back to her previous state of relative levity.  
  
They walked on after the brief stop. Nina didn't talk anymore than a simply 'yes' or 'no' with the occasional 'I see' tossed in. Ryu wasn't going to go out of his way to make conversation with a woman who was emotionally distraught over what may have been a guy she was really emotionally attached to. Ryu was starting to think that this was going to be more trouble than it was worth, almost anyways. Ryu kept shooting glances down at her as the strolled in what was now silence. After an eternity of awkward, the two reached the small village that housed the Ranger base and Ryu came close to snorting, it toed the line of podunk very carefully. Nina looked up at him and smiled slightly.  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't much of a conversationalist." She apologized more demurely than Ryu thought possible for an acquaintance. Ryu smiled inwardly. *Now's my time to shine.* He thought lasciviously.  
  
"Don't worry about Nina. I understand what you're going through." Ryu said placing his hand on her shoulder and squeezing it in a comforting manner. Nina broke into a much larger smile and Ryu cheered inwardly. *And Ryu scores!*  
  
"Come on, let's go to the Headquarters, I'm sure that they'll all be interested in meeting you. We should also hear some news about Aleric and Mezzryn." Nina said cheerfully, pulling on Ryu to get him to hurry on. *Not too likely about the last part.* He thought cynically. He was mildly worried about the Rangers recognizing him but most of the ones who knew him were dead or not from this area, so it was with confidence that he strode in behind Nina into the Headquarters of the Rangers. It was nothing to be too impressed with.  
  
The main building was fairly small, maybe a total of twenty sets of weapons were hung along the armory. A receptionist sat at a table that barred entry to some of the back rooms. The rooms were simply furnished wood, nothing like the last Headquarters he had been to. An older man with a strip of cloth tied around his eyes was leaning back in a comfortably upholstered chair and his sightless gaze immediately went to Nina and Ryu. "Good afternoon Nina." He said in one of those 'Kind Old Men' kind of voices.  
  
"Good afternoon Ferzin." Nina returned the greeting with a big hug to the older man. Ryu quickly shot looks all over the room to check for any likenesses of him. He found one and quickly walked over to inspect the sketch. Part of it was done in color to show that he had blue hair. The rest was too out of date for anyone to put two and two together. *Shouldn't be too hard to fool any of these fellows.* Ryu thought smirking to his image. His image smirked back in black and white.  
  
". . . I'd like to introduce a fellow Ranger from the town of Bellavurn: Fenris." Nina's introduction pulled Ryu back into the thick of things and he walked over, trying his best to look deferential and succeeding to a very good degree.  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Ryu said with impeccable gentility.  
  
"The same, what brings you here my boy?" He asked, his tone changing to one of strict business. Ryu surmised that he only had a fondness for his adopted granddaughter. Ryu withdrew his hand and looked speculatively at the blind man. Nina was talking to the receptionist in low tones so Ryu was free to not look welcoming or friendly. His body remained very friendly in stance though.  
  
"I'm merely a messenger from the Head at our Guild. I'm merely telling you of our existence." Ryu said with guarded words but an otherwise friendly disposition. Ferzin was mulling over these words when Nina let out a little gasp of surprise and sadness. Both Ryu and Ferzin looked toward the Windian as she put a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in surprise. The receptionist patted her shoulder comfortingly and murmured some words of encouragement. Nina looked over at both Ryu and Ferzin.  
  
"Excuse me for a moment." She said succinctly before walking hurriedly out of the room. Ryu looked from the door where Nina just left to the receptionist in mock astonishment.  
  
"What just happened?" Ryu asked, concern coloring his words. *As if I already didn't know.* He thought smugly.  
  
"We found both Mezzryn's and Aleric's bodies in the forest." The receptionist answered, her own voice heavy with sorrow. Ryu's face slowly going from shocked sorrow to out and out despondency.  
  
"That's terrible! Who could have done that?" Ferzin asked leaning forward expectantly. Ryu followed his lead and looked questioningly over at the receptionist who was dabbing at her eyes with a kerchief. *Mezzryn must have been a real hit with the ladies.* Ryu thought darkly.  
  
"We think it was that blackguard Ryu! Only he could have so easily slain both of them." The receptionist broke down and went out of the room the same way Nina went. Ryu was left in the company of Ferzin, a person which Ryu was starting to seriously consider killing. *The blind guy is too perceptive for his own good.* Ryu thought as he took a chair directly opposite the blind man.  
  
"So why are you really here?" Ferzin asked suddenly as he stood up, he would have been a strong enemy in his youth but age had made him weaker.  
  
"Make up some reason, I told you mine and that's the only one you're getting." Ryu said, leaning back in his chair. He put his arms behind his back and watched the old man with narrowed eyes. Ferzin chose not to act upon his suspicions of Ryu and simply began to walk slowly out of the room. As he passed Ryu he stopped and grabbed Ryu on the shoulder with surprising strength.  
  
"You can never replace Mezzryn's place in her heart." Ferzin cautioned, his sightless eyes still peering forward. Ryu casually pulled the hand away from him. He was smirking at the blind man as he stood up and faced him eye to eye.  
  
"I don't plan on replacing Mezzryn in her heart, I plan on replacing Mezzryn in her bed." Ryu informed the old man his manner reverting back into arrogance. Ryu opened the door and let Ferzin walk out, smirking at his back as he ambled on slowly. Ryu followed through hoping to find Nina's room and "console" her. Ryu began whistling the same tune again, he had never learned the words but it had such an infectious sound that he couldn't help but whistle it at most opportunities. He finally found Nina's room, it was marked with her name, making it a dead give away.  
  
Ryu leaned in, listening through the door. He had always had pretty good hearing and today it proved itself again. Ryu could discern Nina crying, but it was muffled slightly, like she was crying into her pillow or perhaps a kerchief. Ryu brought up his left hand and rapped three times upon the door. "Are you all right Nina?" He asked solicitously. The crying stopped and Ryu could hear some shuffling within the room and the sound of some sniffling to get rid of any excess tears.  
  
"I'm not really in the mood to talk right now Fenris. Would you please come back in a little while?" Nina asked through the door, her voice laden with sorrow. Ryu's mind carefully went over what he was about to say next. He didn't want to pass up this opportunity to further worm his way into Nina's heart, but he also didn't want to sound too forceful in his desire to speak with her.  
  
Ryu's eyes squinted as he stared at the ceiling and thought up his response. "I understand that you may be upset, and crying is a perfectly acceptable outlet for your emotions, but it also helps to talk about the ones we cared for." Ryu waited expectantly for her response. He crossed his fingers in expectation as he heard footsteps heading towards the door. The door swung open and Nina appeared with a tear streaked face. She was presently wiping her eyes with a white kerchief, it had Mezzryn's crest on it.  
  
"You're right Fenris. Please come in." Nina said, trying to mask the sorrow in her voice. Ryu put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, mimicking his earlier attempt at comfort. He entered the room and closed the door behind him. He waited for her to sit down on her bed before sitting beside her on the right, about six inches away. The room was fairly spartan, it only had the bed and a chest filled with her belongings.  
  
Ryu hunched forward, his elbows on his thighs and his hands dangling between his legs. He looked over at Nina who took one long sniff and looked despondently at the floor. "So how did you meet Mezzryn?" Ryu asked, finally breaking the silence. Nina looked back up at Ryu with a thoughtful look replacing her sad one.  
  
"It was shortly after the Betrayal at Chorden, Mezzryn had been injured and was being transported back to here. I was on a mission from Windor and I came across Mezzryn and some of the other Rangers along the way." Nina paused for a moment and was going to wipe her eyes but noticed how damp hers already was. Ryu smiled comfortingly and handed her one he kept. She returned his smile slightly. "I originally helped with some of the healing but eventually became so interested in the work the Ranger's did that I joined up, Mezzryn was my first partner and we have been working together for over six months now." Nina finished her narrative looked over at Ryu who was still smiling that same comforting smile. "How did you meet him?"  
  
"Like I said, I met him at Chorden, he was such a nice guy that he and I became fast friends. He even suggested that I join the Rangers which I did as soon as the war was over. I always wanted to meet him again, I'll say this for him: he was the nicest guy I ever met." Ryu did indeed feel some of those things about Mezzryn, but the expression of fond memories he had on his face was purely Machiavellian. Nina smiled at Ryu's narration and her eyes glossed over with memories of her own.  
  
"That was what I always liked about Mezzryn. He was always so nice, caring and OH IT'S TERRIBLE THAT HE'S NEVER GOING TO BE THOSE THINGS AGAIN!" Nina broke back into tears as her sorrow gripped her again. She had sought support and she was now crying into Mezzryn's killer's shoulder. *What are the odds.* Ryu thought as he could feel her warm tears seep through his cloth and touch his skin. He took his left arm and placed in comfortingly upon her back. He didn't really know what to say at this moment, he wasn't ready for this kind of emotional outpour.  
  
Ryu sat there in this awkward position, trying somewhat to soothe the emotions of this crying girl who must have loved Mezzryn with all her heart. Ryu almost felt sorry for killing the bastard but it was soon replaced as he remembered what his main objective was. After one final, rib cracking, lung straining, voice grating sob, Nina was finished. Her "good cry" had turned into a good flood upon Ryu's shirt. Nina was almost asleep by now, the events of the day finally pulling her down. Ryu slowly got out of the position and laid her down upon the bed, when she was looking so tired and innocent he felt a great need to have her right then and there but he stopped himself. He brought the cover of the bed up to cover her and patted her comfortingly upon the shoulder before leaving.  
  
"Good night Nina."  
  
* * *  
  
There you have it. Sorry about the lateness but I was a little busy with other stuff. I have another Breath of Fire story running around somewhere and I'm mildly working on that. If you wanted action in this chapter you're out of luck, this was the only chapter I think I'll have without someone dying. Possibly. If you missed the action the next chapter should have that in spades. Please review, time is running short for those puppies and kitties.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that 30% of all left handers have languages parts of the brain in either the right or both parts of the brain. Amazin'. 


	6. Den of Thieves

OK, thanks go out to Fake Darth for those reviews which really gave me some food for thought about the directions my story could take. I admit, the Ryu that was in the last chapter was a bit too nice, but you don't win the affections of a lady by breaking necks and killing innocents. I'll work on the lascivious nature of the character a bit too. Also, a number of you have commented on how it was surprising that Ryu did not take advantage of the situation with Nina being asleep, he's a cruel, sadistic, sociopathic guy, but he is not a rapist. No one else speak of it again. PG-13. Though by now I'm probably going to have bump it up to R.  
  
Chapter Five: Den of Thieves  
  
Ryu had fallen asleep in one of the armchairs out in the main hall after he had put Nina to sleep, his sword draped across his knees. He was having a pretty good rest despite the lack of a horizontal surface. He was stretched out and snoring slightly, he was slowly slipping out of the seat but in his unconscious state he didn't notice or care, he was just getting some sleep. He sighed contentedly as his dream played on inside his mind.  
  
* * *  
  
Nina awoke slowly, her eyes first opening noted the rising sun in the distance. She was a bit curious about why she was still dressed until her memory reminded her of yesterday's events. Nina's last memory had been of sobbing into Ryu's shoulder. She felt a little anxious about displaying that much emotion in front of a complete stranger. She raised herself upon one elbow and looked around the rest of the room to see if he had lingered, luckily he hadn't. Her body was sore from sleeping in the cuirass but she would probably manage. Her face felt odd, probably from crying in her sleep. Nina quickly shook her head, rejecting those emotions as they tried once again to overtake her. She unbuckled her armor and gathered another set of clothes before she went out into the hall and down to the bathing room.  
  
A refreshing twenty minutes elapsed while she washed away the dirt and sorrow of yesterday. Her heart still felt empty but she could at least go about with having a crushing weight on her shoulders. A single tear came to her eye but she quickly dabbed at it with her towel. Dressed and clean she went on a search for Fenris, she wasn't sure if he had been assigned the guest room but since most of the Rangers were either out or in mourning, it seemed unlikely that anything got done last night. She had been to the guest room and found it empty and now pushed back her hair thoughtfully as she pondered about the whereabouts of Fenris. She had reached the main room and found Fenris slouched in a chair, sleeping contentedly.  
  
"That's nice." Fenris said, his voice faint and slurred. Nina smiled slightly at the apparent pleasant dream and continued to watch the dozing Fenris.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu felt eyes upon him suddenly, his mercenary instincts took over and his body suddenly jolted out of sleep and onto the floor, his reaction causing him to slip fully out of his precarious position. His body hit the floor with a dull thud and he looked up, his vision glazed over by his rude awakening. He clearly heard someone laughing and immediately recognized the tone of voice as Nina's. He smiled slightly as his mind started to remember parts of his dreams. He pulled himself up with help from the chair and looked up at her as she was covering her mouth while laughing.  
  
"Glad to see that you found a more enjoyable pastime." He commented with some acerbity. He did not like the idea of being laughed at, even if it was by a beautiful woman. She stopped laughing suddenly but still had a smile twitching at her lips. Ryu stood up and stretched himself out completely and twisted himself left and right and felt his vertebrae crack in relief. With both his arms up he was fully able to smell the reek of his unwashed body. "I think I need to wash, if you'll just direct me in the right direction I'll go and take care of that." Nina pointed to the left hallway and Ryu nodded in departure before moving down the hall. He spotted Mezzryn's room marked with a black lotus. Ryu looked left and right before heading into the room of his ex-partner.  
  
The room was draped in black cloth, the body lay on the bed. Ryu quickly went for the chest at the foot of the bed, it was still filled with clothes, they would be a bit big and not long enough but Ryu would live. Ryu also took the long knife Mezzryn had on the dresser next to his bed, it would probably come in handy. Ryu headed out of the room and went straight for the baths. It wasn't too long before he was called out of the room by cries of panic and alarm. Ryu took his time in getting out, he wasn't in a hurry. He dressed himself and tucked the shirt in extra tight and belted the pants on tighter as well with a belt also procured from the chest of Mezzryn.  
  
His sword came on last, Ryu found it reassuring to have a sword on in the presence of Rangers, they always wanted him dead for one reason or another. He casually made his way down the hall and got closer and closer to the main hall which was a buzz with activity. Ryu entered just in time to see a frantic Nina trying to staunch the wound of a Ranger who had been thoroughly eviscerated. His partner was dying of a less serious wound, Ryu was wondering if now was the time to worm his way even more into the hearts of the Rangers and more importantly, Nina. Ryu felt that he might as well try his hand at it a little or else it would look a little suspicious. *I could always kill the guy later.* Ryu thought looking down at the agonized man.  
  
Ryu knelt before the man and rolled up his sleeves, Nina looked on as the man she was tending to sputtered his last. Ryu focused a little and brought a small stream of magic into the body underneath him, the wound closed slightly and the blood was stopped almost completely. Nina and the other gathered Rangers were in awe. Ryu put on a show of being strained. "Let me take him to his room, I can patch him up better from there. . . I hope." Ryu panted at every word and wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. The Rangers nodded collectively and Ryu picked up the Ranger and began to carry him towards the room one of them led him to.  
  
Ryu closed the door behind him, making sure it was locked and callously tossed the body onto the bed, the Ranger grunted in pain. Ryu ignored his apparent discomfort and proceeded to interrogate the injured Ranger. "How many Rangers can I expect to find here?" Ryu asked in a hushed tone, the Ranger stared at him with wide eyes.  
  
"What are you talking about?" He asked in a strained voice, his eyes danced around in fear. Ryu took his left hand and held the straining man down. He then brought back his right hand before ramming it into the wound the man had. He cried out in pain as Ryu's hand began to open the wound wider and grope through the various viscera. The ranger started having problems breathing and keeping up his scream at the same time and gave up his cries when he realized no one was going to save him.  
  
"I can spare you an extremely painful death if you just answer that last question." Ryu repeated calmly, he was currently wiping his hands clean on the unlucky man's tunic as he awaited the dying man's answer. *It's a good thing they're so trusting.*  
  
"Eight. . . Without Mezzryn and Aleric and Sergio." He said his voice barely above a whisper, the wound made it nearly impossible for the man to breath and he was beginning to show the strain.  
  
"You should have subtracted yourself from the number." Ryu commented darkly.  
  
"I thought you said that you would spare me." The man said in surprise at his own demise.  
  
"I lied." Ryu replied smiling, the man was about to scream out loud but couldn't muster enough energy or air to do it. Ryu clasped the man's head between his two hands and was about to snap his neck but thought better of it. Ryu took the pillow from underneath the man's head and quickly and firmly put it over the man's face. "Sweet dreams."  
  
The man moved side to side in a vain attempt to get free but after a few moments he was still and the room was silent. "Noooo! I've lost another! Curse you cruel fate, why did you have to take one so young?" Ryu began to cry out in a show of over exaggerated sorrow at the man's death. He heard the door begin to open and he quickly slipped the pillow back underneath the Ranger's head. Ferzin came in followed quickly by Nina and the other Rangers. "I'm afraid I wasn't able to save him." Ryu said, his head hung low as the others filed in and stood around the dead man. Nina patted his shoulder in a comforting manner as the others bowed their heads in respect for the dead.  
  
Ryu left the room in a hurry and began to laugh slightly, the way these Rangers kept dropping he doubted he'd actually have to fight one. He headed into the main room and found the one woman that was there when he first arrived, Ryu supposed that she was a receptionist or a dispatcher of some sort. She was busy dabbing at her eyes when Ryu arrived but stopped when he entered the room. Ryu put on a depressed mask and plopped down right onto the chair he had slept in.  
  
The two sat in silence broken only by the occasional sob the woman masked behind her handkerchief. The sounds of prayer could be heard coming from the room with the dead Ranger, Sergio had apparently been moved to a different location. "It's a shame, so many Rangers to die so closely together." Ryu said, finally breaking the ice within the room. The receptionist just 'Um-Hmm'ed in response. *She probably thinks I'm a curse of some sort, and truth be told I suppose I am.* Ryu thought cynically. "What were they doing when they got attacked and wounded so badly?" Ryu questioned, he figured any force that was out killing Rangers might strike at him since he was so closely affiliated to them at this point.  
  
"They were investigating a group of bandits that have reportedly been seeking out us, apparently they were too strong for Sergio and Marst." She answered, her voice cracking as she spoke. Ryu nodded, trying to look as sympathetic as possible, he didn't want to alienate any of them just now. Any further conversation he was going to have with the dispatcher was cut short by the appearance of Ferzin and Nina. Nina was looking angry and ready for some revenge, Ferzin looked passive but then again, most of the expressive parts of his face were covered with a white cloth.  
  
"Hey Nina, what's happening?" Ryu asked slipping back into his old flippant nature for a moment before remembering his current situation. All three looked towards him with a perplexed expression but he just shrugged it off.  
  
"C'mon Fenris, we're going to make those bandits pay for what they did!" Nina said, fury coating her words as she grabbed Ryu roughly by the shoulder and hauled him to his feet. Ryu could only follow the outraged Windian as she hauled him outside of the building and outside of the town. Ryu eventually disentangled himself and began to walk of his own accord but he had to cast away his usual form of walking to keep up with the furiously marching Windian.  
  
"Slow down a bit would ya. At this pace we're going to march right into them and be taken by surprise. If they beat those others so badly we certainly want to be a bit more vigilant than them." Ryu pointed out, stopping and grabbing onto her arm to get her to stop as well. She glared back at him before her features softened into a more of an annoyed template rather than a furious one.  
  
"You're right, I was letting my anger get to me." Nina confessed as she broke free and continued walking at a more sedate pace. Ryu caught up with her and they both began walking in stride. "Something's been bothering me Fenris." Nina broke the silence again after ten minutes of walking. Ryu looked down at her slightly apprehensively. "How did you heal Marst the first time around?" She asked looking up at him questioningly.  
  
"Oh that, I had it explained to me once. You know how magic is I guess, seeing as you use it." Ryu wasn't too keen on revealing anything more than he had to at this point, that and he wasn't too sure about his magic himself, he was just able to use it.  
  
"Well, you're human, and the only humans who know how to use magic are the ones that either steal the spirits of the dead, or have been fused with a dead Windian. So which are you?" Nina asked, her voice had a decidedly venomous taste to it when she mentioned those possibilities.  
  
"Neither, not smart enough to warrant the fusion and not patient enough to learn how to siphon off the power of the dead. Still, I could always be a dragon and not know it." Ryu said the last part with a bit of a laugh and Nina joined in too. The idea of a Dragon being on the mainland without a Windian knowing it was quite preposterous. The two walked along in a more amiable silence.  
  
It was probably another hour or so before Ryu picked up something. He couldn't tell whether he heard them or smelt them first but his nose was suddenly filled with the stench of carrion. Nina showed no sign of detecting whatever it was that he had noticed so he put out a hand to stop her. "What is it?" Nina asked in a hushed tone.  
  
"I think it might be the bandits we're out looking for. Why don't you go fly up there and get a better look at them." Ryu suggested as he took a few hesitant steps towards the smell.  
  
"I can't, these wings are just vestigial." Nina explained, her face blushed slightly as if she were ashamed of her inability to fly. Ryu tried to look sympathetic but he was annoyed by the fact that he was going to have to fight a bunch of people who he had no idea about. *I could probably just turn around now, or maybe fake my death again. Both shouldn't be too hard.* Ryu tried to talk himself out of this but his bloodlust was rising within him. He had to admit that the idea of fighting would be nice. Who knows, these might be the guys he's supposed to meet with anyways. Besides, regardless of the contacts, or his rising bloodlust, Nina was a mission necessity.  
  
Ryu crept forward with Nina following behind him. He neared the epicenter of the smell and sound after a few minutes of slinking through the woods. The trees provided a perfect cover as he looked onto the sight before him. Several dead bodies littered the ground and six men stood around, one playing a flute, a merry tune to be sure. The six were not armored but had quite a collection of weapons. Several had cutlasses or similar swords and two had halberds with deadly looking axe heads. None of them were keeping an active guard and looked like easy pickings. Ryu gestured for Nina to stay back as he readied himself for his appearance. "Cover me." Ryu said simply before he stepped out into the clearing.  
  
All of the bandits suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked over at the single man who stood apparently unarmed. "Good afternoon fellas, care for a fight?" Ryu said with all of the arrogance that was inherit within his blood. The six bandits just looked at him and began to laugh at the pomposity of Ryu, they approached him with their weapons drawn and smiled at his apparent stupidity. As soon as they got within ten feet of Ryu Nina let fire a crossbow bolt, Ryu was a bit unprepared for that since it disrupted his style. When the bolt thunked into one of the bandits Ryu broke into a flurry of motion. His sword being drawn out of his sheath was his first attack severing the ties that held the man's stomach together. Ryu completed the spin by pulling his dagger out and embedding it into the chest of his second opponent. *Under the ribcage and into your heart.* Ryu thought as he kicked the corpse on the ground and admired his handiwork.  
  
His battle sense told him that another assailant was behind him. He lashed out with his booted foot and knocked the man onto his back to stare supinely up at the blazing sun. Ryu quickly ducked an attack from a cutlass wielder and countered with and vertical slash diagonally scoring on his chest effectively felling him. The only two people left were wielding halberds and circling him, keeping him from getting in too close. Nina aided him again, Ryu caught a streak of flame go by his peripheral vision and turned to see one of them engulfed in fire, becoming a veritable torch. The second halberdier sensed an opportunity and rushed the unprepared Ryu. His sword was knocked out of his hands and Ryu got knocked back by a propped up drop-kick. The halberdier remained on his feet and thrust his speared point straight at Ryu's neck. Ryu caught the blade and tried to force the man back using his patented strength. Unfortunately the man's own strength rivaled his own.  
  
The two pushed against each other for the better part of a minute. *Where in the blackest pits of Hell is Nina?* Ryu thought as he pushed with all his might against the bandit. The one time he needed a woman for something other than a pleasant diversion she was nowhere to be found. Ryu had an idea and instead of using his strength the hold the halberd at bay he simply broke of the axe head. The newly made quarterstaff was rammed into Ryu's chest to no adverse affect and Ryu kicked the man soundly in his stomach. Ryu rose to his feet grabbing the man's neck and with a sudden twist, snapped the bandit's neck. He let the newly made corpse fall to the ground and looked around for Nina. He spotted her dodging the blows of a man who already had two arrow shafts protruding from his chest. "Something's not right." Ryu said.  
  
"You're right about one thing." A voice from behind him drifted into his ears and Ryu didn't even need to turn to understand what was going on. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise as he felt sudden realization course through his body.  
  
"Risen." Ryu turned around and felt one of the Risen's fists slam into his stomach effectively expelling the air out of him. He then felt the hilt of the sword slam into his back, knocking him to the ground. Ryu groaned under the force behind those hits and stayed lying on the ground. Nina had apparently driven back her opponent and had decided to aid Ryu. Ryu suddenly felt his hair tingle with an unnatural feeling. "Ah shit." Ryu muttered as he realized what was going on.  
  
A loud ring burst all around Ryu, he could feel his body being shocked with thousands of volts of electricity as it coursed through his body. His muscles spasms caused his body to contort and clench. Ryu felt his eardrums burst under the onslaught and found himself looking up into the faces of five Risen all but unaffected by the blast. A dust cloud had enveloped the area and he used it to his full advantage. Shrugging of the injuries he had sustained he rolled out form under the surrounding Risen and ran out of their reach. The creatures recovered just as quickly and were off after Ryu. Ryu didn't really realize his predicament until his spotted his sword standing up in the dirt with the Risen interposing themselves between him and it. The first reached Ryu and he quickly ducked and dodged his way to avoid the curved blade.  
  
Ryu could tell he was nearing a tree and turned his back to his adversary. Ryu sprinted forward and leaped slightly, planting his left foot against the tree and using it to vault over his opponents. Ryu turned his body in mid air and surveyed the Risen below him. They looked surprised at the maneuver, Ryu singled out one of the stragglers and executed a hook kick with his right foot connecting with the creature and knocking it clear onto his back as he completed the spin and landed with both feet firmly. Ryu sprinted again, reaching up with his arm to wipe blood off of his face, apparently blood vessels in his eye had burst because his vision was coated with a red tint.  
  
He stooped to pick up his sword and brought himself to a spinning stop, now facing his enemies. Ryu brought his sword up and faced his five opponents smiling. They charged him, confident in their ability to survive anything he could throw at them. Ryu stepped forward and cut through the halberdiers quarterstaff and followed through to sever the head off at the neck. The unfortunate creature burst into black fire and was eventually consumed by it. Ryu deflected a sword stroke from the left and hacked through the offenders sword arm and turned to the flanking Risen, this one was sporting Mezzryn's knife. Ryu blocked the sword stroke from the creature and ripped the knife out knocking his foe back in the process. Ryu spun around and lopped off the head of the armless foe behind him while using the knife to parry the blows from the de-knifed Risen.  
  
With three left the battle began in earnest. The remaining Risen were going to swarm Ryu in a few moments and Ryu was running out of room to maneuver. Nina had launched yet another bolt of lightning to no affect and was now attempting to fire on them with her crossbow. What's more, his adrenaline was beginning to fade away and the pain became more prominent. With three opponents swinging away at him Ryu was hard pressed to block all their attacks. They were just as strong if not stronger than the mercenary and a singular disregard for their own welfare made life a little interesting. Ryu finally spun out from the fight and swiped the legs out from underneath one of the Risen, literally. Ryu charged forward with both blades cutting through their attacks and slamming each home into the heads of the creatures. Both had cross eyed expressions as their last sight in this realm was a blade protruding from between their eyes. Black fire consumed both as they wailed their last. Ryu turned on his foot as he felt a sharp stinging sensation in his leg. The final Risen had rammed a dagger into his left calf. With a negligent air Ryu swung his sword and decapitated his final foe.  
  
Letting out an explosive sigh he slumped to the ground and gazed numbly out at the field. Nina was running over to him and he kind of looked but his mind was focusing on the fight. These weren't the men he was supposed to contact but they were probably going to know what Nina was for, and their boss would likely know who he was if that were the case. Nina had reached him now and had put both her hands on his shoulders and was shaking him, her lips were moving but no sound was coming out. Ryu shook his head trying to clear the apparent deafness. Ryu sighed, realizing he was going to have to rely on magic again. He placed both hands on the side of his head and summoned up some energy. He could slowly being to feel the pain subside in his head and in his leg.  
  
"Ahhh, much better. Now, as you were saying." Ryu said rising to his feet. He dusted himself off slightly and wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve it was soon smeared with blood but luckily it wasn't his shirt.  
  
"What the hell were those things?" Nina asked her eyes still upon the ashes of the bodies. She had a cut on her arm from one of the Risen apparently.  
  
"Risen, not technically zombies but they aren't alive. They give up their souls for 'immortality'. Fire and beheading are sure shot ways to get rid of them." Ryu answered nonchalantly. The odor of carrion was still prevalent but it seemed to be coming from deeper within the forest. *I probably should have known better.* Ryu thought as he reviewed the events leading up to the fight.  
  
The two walked on in silence. Nina seemed full of questions but she kept silent and Ryu was thankful for it. He wasn't sure how much of a lie he could keep up under these conditions. Ryu was good at lying, but lying steadily to one person over the course of a long period of time was a little over taxing for one of his tendencies.  
  
The duo reached a small rock outcropping after a few moments of walking, the smell was almost overpowering at this point. Nina's features crinkled up in disgust while Ryu grimaced towards the rocks. This was the place but he couldn't discern an opening in the rock face. Ryu walked towards the rocks and began to feel around for a seam in the wall denoting a door. A few seconds of searching and Ryu felt a brush of wind behind. He spun around in time to see someone swinging an axe at him. He ducked under the careless blow and unsheathed his sword across the neck of his opponent. Black fire enshrouded the body and its ashes blew away into the forest. A rumbling sound issued forth from the rock face and two more Risen rushed out into Ryu's deadly embrace.  
  
The thieves apparently had no practice at being Risen. They refused to guard their heads making them easy targets for Aleric's blade. Two more black conflagrations surrounded Ryu. "C'mon." Ryu succinctly bade Nina to follow him into the opening. The underground passage smelt like a tomb and had about as many dead bodies. The two walked on in complete silence. No rats scurried around within the halls and no insects made their home here. Only darkness and dead bandits resided in this place.  
  
Nina had conjured up a small sphere of light and had directed it to go before the two. Ryu was a bit uncertain about getting into a fight in these corridors but he figured that any disadvantage he'd have his opponents would too, except the whole they're already dead thing. Ryu's fears of being unable to maneuver were quickly allayed when the tunnel opened up into a massive cavern. His apprehensions about facing more Risen were not however as five were standing waiting for him. *How did they know about us?* Ryu thought hurriedly as he pulled out his sword. Nina was behind him and started rattling off some incantations. Then it hit Ryu. *The Windian.* The thieves obviously wanted Nina for splicing.  
  
The five Risen were much better equipped than the previous ones Ryu had dispatched. They looked like they were ex-knights from their armor and weapons. Ryu sighed in exasperation. *The things I go through for money and sex.* Ryu thought as he charged into the cluster of undead. The first went down before the others had time to react. Fire blocked Ryu from view and Ryu backed off as he waited for one of them to wander through. Nina threw her cards into the fight as well and unleashed a torrent of fire into to the group but avoided Ryu. As the flames subsided Ryu was set upon by the remaining Risen and was hard put upon to parry the three swift blows from his adversary. Ryu spun low dodging the fourth strike and rose up towards the end of his swing ending with his sword out perpendicular with the floor, black flame in front of him. Ryu flipped the sword so it was pointing in the opposite direction and slammed it into his scabbard completing the move. *It's good to be me.* Ryu thought as he jerked his head to get Nina to follow him. He was in his own element again. He didn't have to worry about subterfuge, lies, and being found out. Now that things were getting violent again he could get back to doing what he does best. His spirits were so high that he started whistling his favorite tune again.  
  
Nina was very subdued, apparently she was capable of discretion despite all the signs pointing towards negative. Ryu reached the door at the end of the hall and listened in on it trying to discern any kinds of conversation. Nothing. The door was iron bound wood so it might prove to be somewhat recalcitrant but it shouldn't be too difficult Ryu thought as he took a few steps back. Nina had a perplexed look on her face but realization dawned when Ryu charged forward and he hit the door with his shoulder knocking it open. Ryu hit the ground and rolled up to his feet to find himself in a much smaller cavern.  
  
He was on what seemed to be a naturally created bridge that was suspended above the much deeper stone ground. It reached out and touched a plateau within the cave upon which two humanoids stood. Just as Ryu's eyes were beginning to discern the figures a brilliant white light erupted from the center of the room and blinded him with its intensity. When his eyes finally adjusted to the sudden burst of light the entire room was bathed in a radiant white glow that showed his opponents for what they were. One was a rather short human dressed in merchants' clothes standing next to a raised platform that looked like it was carved especially for humans. His ally was what drew Ryu's attention however.  
  
The man stood as tall as Ryu but was much bulkier, the creature was covered in muscle and his skin was an unnatural white color. The pallid torso was covered up with a scale hauberk which had a sword hilt extending over the back of it. Ryu was immediately drawn to the being's face, its black eyes glared at him merrily and he grinned with putrid black teeth. It was a half-demon.  
  
"Nina, you take out the merchant." Ryu advised pulling his own sword out. He didn't hear any kind of response, and Ryu, not thinking clearly made the ultimate mistake in any fight. He looked away. Ryu saw Nina lying prone on the stone bridge behind him. Ryu's mind quickly reacted to his own mistake and he promptly turned around.  
  
A whistling sound resounded in his ears as his eyes locked upon a twirling war hammer hurtling toward him. "Ah shit." Was all Ryu hat time to say before the hammer slammed into his chest dispelling any breath and energy from his body. Ryu slammed into the wall behind him and rebounded off performing a cadaverous flip and landed supinely staring at the roof of the cavern.  
  
His vision danced around as he was surrounded by psuedo-darkness that created huge forms of shadow. His vision eventually focused upon one figure leaping off the bridge and landing with thud a few feet from him. The half-demon reached over his shoulder and pulled out a massive billhook. It was probably more than four feet with just counting the blade. It smirked down at him with its black teeth and chuckled slightly. Ryu had been spending that past few moments trying to summon up enough energy to work his magic but the best result he was getting was a slight trickle of relief when he needed a flood.  
  
The half-demon hoisted him up by the throat and slammed him into the cave wall. Ryu could feel his vertebrae buckle under the force of the blow. The half-demon spun around and hurled Ryu into the opposite wall where he began to slide down trying in earnest to get to his feet. Ryu's magic was having a hard time keeping up with the force of these blows and at this rate his body would give out. Ryu was getting angry, for the first time in his memory he was actually angry at something.  
  
Not at the half-demon, not at Nina, not at the world, but himself for being stupid. He could've won this fight without having to break a sweat but now he was struggling for his life against some half-breed. Ryu's muscles spasmed under the anger he was feeling. His fists were clenched, his nails digging into his skin causing blood to start falling to the ground. Ryu watched as the half-demon grip him by the neck and pulled him up to eye level. "Good-bye weakling." It muttered in it's grating voice.  
  
The fist was pulled back and brought forward with deadly force.  
  
CRACK!  
  
Ryu felt the blow shudder through his entire being as it seemed to absorb the blow. Instead of feeling the life ending pain that was his due an immense relief flooded throughout his body. Dozens of more cracks and snaps joined the first each bringing relief and strength the Ryu. Ryu smirked back at the half-demon whose features were twisted into surprise. Ryu brought his head back before slamming it full force into the unsuspecting aberrations face. The creature reeled backwards loosening his hold. Ryu slammed his hunting knife into the creature's unprotected side and landed a right hook knocking it back into the wall, its sword forgotten on the ground.  
  
The half-demon ripped the dagger out and Ryu witnessed its regenerative powers in action. "This should be a lot more interesting now." Ryu commented as he slammed his left fist into the creatures face. The aberration swung at him with its fists but Ryu dodged nimbly out of the way. It wasn't particularly focused in its fighting style which made it much easier for Ryu to kill it. Ryu ducked under one wide swing and rose up at an angle ramming his elbow into its face and pinning it against the wall. Ryu smirked at its apparent discomfort and failed to notice the counterattack it was readying.  
  
The half-demon brought both of its fists down onto Ryu's skull knocking him to the ground. Ryu was fazed but his new found powers kept him cognizant. The aberration reached its arm down and was going to grab him but Ryu caught the arm and planted his foot against the creature's chest. Ryu pulled with all his might on the arm. Ryu heard the customary bone popping but the additional muscle tearing was music to his ears. Ryu let go of the arm and used his other foot to kick the half-demon back onto the ground. The creature apparently had some difficulty fixing its muscle tissue which gave Ryu the time he needed to get the billhook from off the ground.  
  
The half-demon had gotten to his feet and was charging Ryu by the time the sword was in the mercenary's hand. It was heavy and sharp, just the way Ryu liked it. Ryu brought his left hand out and punched the half- demon in the face before it could react. The force of the blow and the force of the charge laid the creature flat on the ground. Ryu planted his left foot on his fallen foes chest and brought the sword up to prepare for an overhead, two-handed, cleave. "Good night sweet prince." Ryu jokingly taunted to his defeated opponent as he brought the sword down, the end of the blade cleaving into the skull of the demon sealing the deal. Ryu wiped some blood off his forehead with his sleeve and looked around him. From up on the plateau he could hear some chanting and a few other magic related sounds.  
  
Ryu bent over the dead aberration and unbelted the scabbard it had used and slipped it over his own shoulder. He thought about stealing the armor but the creature was much larger than Ryu and he thought it would be impossible for it to fit without at least some blacksmith work. Ryu put the sword into its sheath and went looking for the war hammer. More incantations began to echo off the walls as it reached a near crescendo. Ryu found the hammer and began to scale the plateau. It was probably fifteen feet up and mildly difficult to climb with a hammer held by Ryu's neck as it was scrunched to the side to hold it in place.  
  
Ryu reached the top of the plateau and hoisted himself to his feet. The scene that met him verified what his original thoughts were, the thieves were going to use Nina for a soul fusion. The merchant was bent over Nina's unconscious form waving his hands ritualistically. *The boss won't like this.* Ryu thought as he brought the war hammer back and got ready to let it fly. "Hey, hands off the Windian!" Ryu shouted letting the hammer fly.  
  
The merchant/sorcerer looked over at Ryu only to be knocked over the raised bed for Nina. Normally Ryu would have taken his time and strolled casually over to body but with the number of people who were rising from the near dead, himself included, he figured he shouldn't be taking too many chances. Ryu sprinted towards the dais and the sorcerer behind it. He vaulted over the bed feet first and drop kicked the rising man. Ryu rose to his feet first though the sorcerer was trying in vain to rattle off a spell.  
  
Ryu pulled his sword out in a fluid motion and hewed through the sorcerer's hands, effectively disarming him. Pun intended. The sorcerer's eyes were filled with fear as he looked up into the blood covered mercenary wielding what essentially looked like a giant meat cleaver. Ryu could see the stumps of the sorcerer's arms begin cover itself with flesh even as Ryu watched. Ryu smirked again as he suddenly realized what this person was, "You guys are way too obsessed with being dead." Ryu said as his fist slammed into the man's chest.  
  
The figure beneath him vanished in a puff of smoke and cadaverous figure replaced it. Ryu's fist had broken through the thing's chest bone and his hand was groping through the ichorous innards. He finally found what he was looking for and placed his other hand on the corpses head as it thrashed around wildly. Ryu's hand tightened around the stone like object and ripped it out of the body. Ryu's hands were clenched around a luminously vibrant amethyst. The corpse keened wildly as it felt its life source being ripped out of it. "Lichs, you think you're so damn invincible!" Ryu was getting slightly irritated with all these dead things just ambling around making his life suck. First Risen, then half-demons, now Lichs; each more annoying than the last.  
  
Ryu's anger helped him crush the jewel within his hand and as soon as it was gone, the Lich underneath him exploded in a cloud of black soot. Ryu slumped backwards sitting against the stone bed with Nina lying obliviously upon it. "It must be great to be able to lie back and let the world take care of itself." Ryu said talking to Nina. She didn't respond. "Not talking to me eh? Well, as long as you're asleep." Ryu pushed himself up to his feet using the dais. Ryu spun on his foot and looked down at the peacefully sleeping Nina.  
  
"It's tempting." Ryu said, commenting upon the situation. But, would it be prudent?" Ryu asked himself, he began to pace stroking his goatee thoughtfully. "What do you think Nina?" No response. "Well, on one hand, it would most likely be a quite enjoyable way to pass the time. On the other hand, she'd probably blast me with spells as soon as she wakes up. But then again, she might find the entire experience quite flattering. On the other hand, The Boss doesn't want damaged goods." Ryu stopped pacing and looked down at the still sleeping Nina. He sighed as he came to his decision. "You lucked out Nina, your virtues will remain intact for awhile." Ryu grabbed the Windian by the waist and heaved her over his shoulder.  
  
Ryu placed one of his hands on the small of her back to keep her in place while he walked. He started whistling again, it just seemed like the time to do it. Ryu walked all the way back to the Ranger's Headquarters with his whistling being his only sound coming out of the forest, apparently it knew him well enough.  
  
He finally reached the headquarters by nightfall and was getting ready to fall asleep. He had dispelled more magic than he was accustomed to but he was out of the woods now. The most of the lights were out in the building which Ryu found slightly disconcerting but nothing to get him to change his plans. Ryu reached the door and laid Nina out on the ground. He was about to turn the door knob when his ears picked up the sounds of shuffling armor inside the room. *That doesn't fit.* He wouldn't have minded if it were a large collection of shuffling and a general buzz of action but this was a discreet action made by someone trying to ambush him.  
  
Ryu smirked as he realized what was going on. *Those Ranger's aren't as dumb as I thought. Well they are because they're still here but at least they figured out who I was.* Ryu opened the door but didn't into the room knowing full well what was waiting for him. One of the larger Rangers lunged into view as he was set on tackling the spot where Ryu would have been. *I'm going to see if I can get through this entire fight without having to pull out my sword.* Ryu thought as he prepared himself for the fight, Ryu's fist launched into the stomach of the Ranger expelling any air from his stomach. He then elbowed him in the spine breaking it and knocking him on the ground. Ryu stepped over the body and entered the room. The Ranger's weren't too bright about laying an ambush in a dark room especially since Ryu had pretty decent eyesight in the dark.  
  
One of the Rangers thrust his sword at Ryu who easily side-stepped the blatant attack and close lined the man when his momentum carried him too far forward. Ryu spun under the third man's axe swing and slammed his elbow into the man's throat, crushing the guy's throat. Another Ranger grabbed Ryu and put him into a half nelson that was surprisingly strong. This Ranger's partner stepped in front of Ryu and Ryu used the guy behind him to lift up his legs and slam his feet into the man's chest, crushing the bones underneath. Ryu's feet hit the floor and he used the inertia to throw the guy behind him over his head and back first onto the ground. Ryu lifted his right foot up and brought it down to crush the Ranger's windpipe. "Five down, two to go." Ryu said eyeing the rest of the room, he could only discern one shadow. The room was suddenly doused with light and Ryu stood stock still, staring at Ferzin.  
  
"Hello Ryu." Ferzin said, the blind old man dressed in well oiled armor, two shortswords belted to his side. Ryu was getting ready to laugh at this prospect.  
  
"I applaud your effort. But seriously, even I have reservations about fighting blind men." Ryu said, his words coated with laughter. Ferzin smirked at Ryu and rushed forward faster than Ryu expected. The swords were out and executed two lightning fast slashes both of which came too close for Ryu's comfort. "You're good, I'll give you that." Ryu said as he dodged another thrust from the old man. Ryu caught the arm in his right hand. "But I'm Ryu." Ryu slammed his left hand palm open into the elbow of the man snapping it under the force of the blow. The old man swung with the other sword but Ryu dodged and went behind Ferzin. Ryu kicked the old man squarely in the back sending him reeling into the wall. Ryu stalked towards the dazed old man, he stepped backward once to avoid a wild swing from Ferzin.  
  
Ryu moved farther forward again this time propelling himself faster with a rebound step. Ryu pulled out his hunting knife and transfixed Ferzin's leather jerkin to the wall. Ryu grabbed Ferzin's other arm as it tried to land a hit on Ryu and twisted it sharply, breaking it as well. Ferzin tried in vain to pull himself off the wall but Ryu's dagger was sunk into the wood up to its hilt. "Just hang out for a little bit, you'll be dead soon enough." Ryu said turning his back on the struggling old man. *That was only six though.* Ryu thought counting those he lay on the ground. As if in answer to his thoughts, the receptionist walked into the room.  
  
"Is everything alright? The light was the signal for me to come out wasn't it..." Whatever she was about to say faded away as the sight of the room took any words she had left out of her. Ryu was smiling broadly at her and she took an involuntary step back. She tried to turn and run but Ryu caught her by the throat in his right hand. He lifted her off the ground and began to tighten the grip on her throat in vice-like fashion.  
  
The receptionist went slack after a few seconds but Ryu wasn't fooled by such a base trick. Ryu's thumb twisted inward and he tightened his grip again crushing her throat even more. She wriggled around in vain trying to get some breath into her throat but after a score or so of twisting seconds, she fell limp, her heart dead. Ryu dropped her to the ground and looked around to see if anyone else was in the mood to die. Ryu stepped across the body strewn floor towards the door. "It's a good thing this house is made out of wood." Ryu commented as he left the room, Ferzin still struggling against the dagger.  
  
Ryu stepped out of the Ranger's Headquarters and found Nina still lying on the ground unconscious. He grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her thirty or so feet away from the building before he turned around and walked back towards the headquarters. Ryu put both of his hands on the door frame and summoned forth more magic. He typically didn't use his magic for offensive purposes but this time, he'd make an exception. The door frames began to smolder underneath his touch and the wood began to increase in temperature. With one final push of energy a great sheet of searing white fire spread out across the entire frame of the building.  
  
Ryu retreated a few steps as the house erupted into white flames. The conflagration sent heat towards him from even this far away as he looked at his own handiwork. "Now for the finishing touches." Ryu said as he basked into the warmth of his destruction. Ryu grabbed his left arm and twisted it sharply breaking it. Ryu gritted through the pain and continued with his work, his shirt was still torn and covered in blood and soot so it didn't need much work. Ryu pulled out his newly acquired sword and planted it in the ground a few feet from where Nina was lying. Ryu then shuffled on over to where Nina was and carefully laid himself horizontally across her feet to make it look like he collapsed over her in his last attempt to protect her.  
  
*Ryu, you are a genius.*  
  
* * *  
  
There you have it, and boy was it violent and long. I didn't think I had it in me but here we are. I hope none of you got offended by this but I suppose it had to happen like this to an extant to show that, Ryu really is the consummate bastard. And I explained why he doesn't take advantage of unconscious women. I'm probably bumping it up to R even though I don't necessarily think that there are going to be any more chapters quite like this one. I could be wrong about that but you'll just have to keep reading and reviewing to find out. My goal is to at least match the story Taken Flight since we're roughly equal in many respects.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that Hugo Weaving, the guy who played Elrond and Agent Smith in recent movies, was also the lead transvestite in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Doesn't that simply boggle the mind? 


	7. The Duel

Crow Magnum here, trying to hammer out another chapter fast but I'm failing. Something's going on with my review thing in which it's telling me I have more than I have. Now either it's a conspiracy to make my story look better, or it just wants to fuck with me, I don't know. It finally got fixed and now I can comment on what some of you said. Well, this story has done everything I wanted it to do since it's got a small fan-base, people like the sadistic nature of the "Hero" and I'm tied with "Taken Flight". Everyone's a winner! And someone hates what I did with Ryu, Huzzah! Hooray! And Symphony, Ryu cares about the emotions of Nina for two reasons, one of those I can't tell you right yet but will be revealed and the other is well, if you haven't picked up on the fact that his mind is focused upon the physical benefits of romance then well, you know now.  
  
Chapter Six: The Duel  
  
Nina struggled to wake up, it felt like the part of her brain that controlled her limbs was not working and her eyes welded shut. Her nose and brain told her something was wrong but her body was unwilling to listen to her orders. With a final burst of concentration her eyes fluttered open only to be blinded by the daylight. Her eyes opening was like a lock being turned, everything was fully articulated now and she brought up her left hand to shield her eyes from the harsh rays of the sun. Nina would have moved her legs under her so she could stand up but something was keeping them down. Nina brought her torso up and the hand that was shielding her eyes jumped to cover her mouth as her breath got caught in her throat.  
  
Fenris' body was lying there, bloody and broken. Nina cautiously moved out her right hand to nudge the corpse. She pushed it off her legs with both hands and looked at it expectantly, praying for some sign of life. Her prayers were answered when his chest rose in sorely anticipated inhalation and then let out in a comparable exhalation. Nina's smile faded when her eyes wandered up to look around. Her eyes first sight was the charred remains of a building. Nina looked around wildly, hoping against hope that these woods were foreign, that there wasn't a town a little to the south and that this charred ruin before her was not her beloved Ranger's Headquarters, and that those charred remains were not those of her beloved friends.  
  
But they were. Nina rose to her feet and stumbled towards the wreckage, her eyes already blurred with unbidden tears. Her home. Her friends. Her family. All gone. The heat from the ruins was too much for her to bear and she stopped five or so feet from the shell of a building and broke down and wept. So much loss in such a short time was destroying her. Mezzryn was gone along with Aleric and now everyone who she had held dear had been consumed in fire.  
  
Ferzin.  
  
Ulin.  
  
Aret.  
  
Arturo.  
  
Kerv.  
  
Sandra.  
  
Each one lost to the blaze.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu was awakened by some wailing in the distance. *Nina must have discovered them. Glad she woke up before me.* Ryu thought pulling himself up from the ground. His arm had managed to fix itself in the night. *That's a puzzler, I've never been able to do that before.* Ryu thought, in reference to his newly attained regenerative abilities he shrugged off the mystery passing off to his own greatness. He's already stronger, faster, and sturdier than people twice his apparent physique, why not healthier too. Ryu propped himself up on one arm and looked over to where a sobbing Nina was prostrate before the smoldering ruins of the Ranger Headquarters. Ryu smiled as a bit of an afterthought for his exploits last night.  
  
Ryu heard some collective sounds of shock and horror behind him signaling that the villagers had come to take a gander at his work of art. Ryu made a show of struggling to his feet and rubbed his head judiciously as the villagers came upon him. One of them grabbed him under his arm and aided him in standing up. "Thank you." Ryu coated his voice in a sore groan resulting from a harsh beating he had taken last night. At least that's what the villagers thought.  
  
More of the villagers went forward to try and comfort Nina, still wracked with silent sobs. Ryu dismissed any questions about his health and started thinking about what the people might know about last night. "Would you mind clarifying what exactly happened last night?" Ryu asked still coating his words with a sore quality as rubbed his head again, his eyes were squinted to make it look like he was suffering from a really bad head ache.  
  
"Well, da Rangers were warnin' us about this Ryu feller. Day figgered dat he was in da area and dat we should step out o' town for da night. We's just got back and here we find da two o' you lollygagging about." The townsperson that had helped him up had answered his question in one of those drawls people around here had a habit of having.  
  
"I see. Well, make sure to help Nina, I should be alright." Ryu said, shaking his head clear of any "ailments." The remaining villagers went to gather a now unconscious Nina and take her back to the town. *Gods, at the rate she breaks down I'm surprised she was accepted into the Rangers.* Ryu thought eyeing her as she was carried down to the local inn. Ryu took after her departing form dubiously as he thought about what to do next. *I gotta get her back in one piece, but I don't think she's capable of accomplishing anything.* Ryu thought as he strolled slowly down to the town. *I can at least get a message to him.* Ryu thought as he kicked an errant stone down the lane.  
  
Ryu did just that though he kind of wished he had done it himself, by the time Nina got recovered he could have made it to Vindar and back a couple of times. Well, that was delving into the hyperbolic a tad, Ryu could not have traveled the intervening thousand miles in five days, but he might have been able to get half of it done. Ryu wasn't going to press any kind of topics with Nina. He had no choice, she was a wreck and every time he had tried to appeal to her senses she confused him for Mezzryn. Why, he had no idea, the two looked nothing alike. Ryu sighed as he leaned back in his chair, at least he had picked up some armor for the local leatherworker. It wasn't anything to brag about but it was nice to be back in some semblance of uniform.  
  
It was mid-afternoon and Ryu was sitting back have just polished off a haunch of herden and was sipping on some of the local ale. *Not bad.* Ryu thought as he tipped the tankard back and drained its contents. Ryu's musings about life were cut short as his nose picked up Nina's familiar aroma. Ryu put the container down and jumped to his feet. *Time to put on the excited but still concerned face.* Ryu thought, his features immediately melding into a solicitous but excited friend. "Nina, you're up." Ryu said grabbing her by the shoulders and gently steering her into a seat.  
  
He took a seat directly opposite to her and leaned forward in anticipation. "Fenris, thank you for staying." Nina said, her voice soft and strained. Ryu passed off the thanks with a hand motion.  
  
"It was the least I could do." Ryu said winningly. Nina smiled a bit back in response but her eyes bombarded Ryu with signals of overwhelming sadness. "C'mon, you should have something to eat. Last time I remember you eating is never." He joked, trying to coax her from her shell, she didn't even smile but continued to stare down at the edge of the table. Ryu ran a hand through his hair and swore mentally, he doubted she would be mentally ready to leave for quite some time. *Dammit why can't people divorce themselves of emotion!* Ryu thought standing up to get her some food. Ryu felt some eyes on him but he shrugged it off to one of the curious villagers. Ryu grabbed the tray with food that the inn keeper had set aside for Nina in case she had woken up today.  
  
He moved quickly towards the table where Nina was still staring blankly. "Buck up Nina, here, have some of this delicious food." Ryu said smiling with as much effervescence as possible. He placed the tray at the edge of her vision and looked at her expectantly for her to start eating. Nina took hold of the spoon and dipped it into the brothy soup mechanically and brought it back up to her lips where she swallowed it. The spoon descended into the soup and remained there as Nina went back to staring. Ryu was very quickly losing his temper, he almost regretted murdering every single Ranger in the town but, well, it was them or him. "Nina, I am returning to... My headquarters." He had forgotten the name of the place, not that it mattered anyways. "I think you should come with me. Or not, I'll drop you off in Windar or someplace like that." Ryu said, cutting straight into what he was driving at.  
  
Nina's hand was shaking slightly at first but eventually got more violent. "Just leave here Fenris... Just leave after they've all be killed Fenris... After all that's happened you expect me to pack up any emotions I may have had and go home? What kind of person are you Fenris?" Nina's voice had reached a crescendo of anger. Ryu was mildly surprised at the outburst. *At least she ain't moping.* Ryu thought rolling his eyes, no longer content to play the part of the sympathizer. Nina seemed ready to harangue him again but was interrupted by someone else within the tavern.  
  
"That man is not Fenris!" Ryu's eyes narrowed suddenly as Nina looked around the bar for the one who had spoken. Ryu slowly reached for his sword as he stood and turned to face his accusers.  
  
"I'm not am I?" Ryu said coolly. He pulled the sword over his shoulder and looked over to find a Woren and a plainsman just looking at him with indignation and anger. Both of their eyes lit up with recognition and Ryu felt recognition dawn upon him as well. *Bo and Cizrai.* He thought as he looked from one to the other.  
  
"That's right you imposter! The real Fenris was slain with an arrow over three days ago! You're actually that sick fuck Ryu!" Cizrai shouted at him pointing at him with her spear. Ryu remained stony face, he might be able to pull this off without having them believed, but he doubted it. "We figured you had to be in the area when we heard about all of the Ranger deaths. Were you responsible for Fenris' death too?" Cizrai was shouting at him in actual anger. Ryu almost felt compelled to feel.  
  
"I was responsible for no Ranger deaths and as you can see, I haven't committed suicide." Ryu passed off the accusations with his usual flippancy and arrogance.  
  
"Cut the bull shit! We know that you're Ryu, you fit the description and the town buried the Fenris just this morning! There's nothing left for you to hide behind." Cizrai was looked exceedingly pleased with herself, Ryu expected her to start preening herself.  
  
"Is this true Fenris? Are you actually Ryu?" Nina asked, she was wringing her hands looking from one group to the other waiting for the joke to end. Ryu remained silent. "He can't be Ryu! He's done nothing but help me during the past couple of days, he helped the Rangers too! Why would he just kill them after all the help he's been?" Nina had stood up and was defending Ryu. Ryu smiled inwardly and thanked his lucky stars that he his efforts to win her over had not been in vain.  
  
"Don't be so naïve! Ryu and this "Fenris" look exactly the same! He arrives at the same time the other dies and all of this misfortune begins as soon as you meet him. Ryu's not above killing his own allies, and he's canny enough to know when to win people over! Just look at this!" Bo said throwing Nina a viewing stone that had both Fenris' and Ryu's picture caught within its spell.  
  
Realization began to dawn within the frightened and weakened Windian. Her eyes went from the viewing stone to Ryu and then back, closely scrutinizing each. The viewing stone dropped to the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces as Nina's hands went slack. Her eyes suddenly lost all emotion and looked straight at Ryu, the eyes wide and filled with tears. "You are Ryu." She said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You did kill them! How could you? How could you do all of these things and still laugh and smile and flirt? How can you be that dead inside?" Nina was shouting her eyes wide with terror as Ryu looked at her with uncaring features. She slowly backed towards Cizrai and Bo, wanted to put distance between herself and Ryu.  
  
"Nina, don't go with them. I may be Ryu, but it is better to stick with the evil you know than the evil you don't." Ryu said, his voice bereft of any of his usual levity. He stared at Cizrai and Bo as if expecting them to make a move. They stood still and flanked Nina as if to protect her.  
  
"No one can be as evil as you!" Nina spat out before turning and fleeing the tavern.  
  
"I guess she made her choice." Bo said smiling wolfishly at Ryu. They departed after the fleeing Windian, no doubt going to worm their way into her heart like he had. The inn was completely empty now and Ryu took a seat at the table and sighed in exasperation, staring blankly at the door where they had left.  
  
He looked over at his mug and noticed it was empty. He would have called for the waitress or the inn keeper but they had left once they realized that he was Ryu. *Fame's a bitch.* Ryu thought as he stood up and used the tap to refill his mug. The door was opened again and this time a small man came in, he had the air of a man who was constantly on the run and his eyes shifted back and forth as he looked around the room. "Hey Seg, what's the word from headquarters." Ryu greeted him as he took a seat again.  
  
Seg sat down directly across from him and looked at him in earnest. "Ya got the girl right? Where is she?" Seg asked his eyes shooting around the room. His voice was almost rat like with its pitch and timbre. "Well?"  
  
Ryu took a sip from his tankard and glowered at the door. "She's gone, Cizrai and Bo decided to reveal my true identity and she took it pretty harsh, they've probably gone back to Dragker by now." Seg's jaw was open in shock as he heard those words.  
  
"Well you've got to get her back fast, HE won't be too pleased if she ends up in someone else's hands." Seg said leaning forward across the table and glaring at Ryu with his beady eyes. Ryu met the look with such cold intensity that the messenger backed down into his chair and gulped.  
  
"I plan on it." Ryu said simply as he stood up and began to walk towards the door. He didn't know whether he was going to enjoy this or not.  
  
* * *  
  
The setting sun cast a glare into the eyes of Druster, he put his hand over his eyes and looked out onto the dirt road before him. Being a guard at this time of day sucked, at least his shift would be over in a few minutes. He was just about to give the all clear sign when he noticed a tall man begin to move his way down the road. Druster waited patiently for the man to reach them, as he got closer more and more of his features became apparent. His was wearing simple leather armor and had what could only be described as a meat cleaver strapped to his back. He got ten feet away from Druster and just stood there. "I'm sorry sir but the gates are closed for the day. If you would like to come back tomorrow they will be opened." Druster said as he eyes the main nervously, he was glad for the four guards up on the ramparts with crossbows. One of the veteran guards had opened the side door and came out to inspect the visitor. Like Druster, he too carried a spear.  
  
"I'd like you to open the gate, otherwise..." The strange man left the implied threat hanging in the air as he pulled his sword out. Druster scoffed slightly since the threat was practically meaningless.  
  
"Our archers would have you down before you could take two steps." The veteran guard said smirking at the crazy warrior. Druster's eyes opened wide as he say the man charge forward despite the position he was in. Two arrows thudded into the ground where he had been and the veteran guard had been ripped open by the man's sword. The blue haired man spun around and charged the flat-footed Druster. Instead of cutting him open the man slammed the hilt of his sword into his face knocking him back. Druster dropped his spear from the pain and the blue haired man picked it up. He dropped his butcher's sword and grabbed Druster picking him up and slamming him into the wooden gate. The warrior hoisted the spear up and slammed it into the chest of Druster robbing him of life.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu smirked at the dead guard. "You should have let me in." Ryu said walking away from the gate after he grabbed his sword. Two more arrows whizzed by his head as he strolled nonchalantly away from the gate. Then, as if on a whim, he swiveled in his foot and sprinted towards the wall moving past another arrow. Ryu leapt forward and planted his foot on the head of the transfixed guard propelling him even higher up the gate until he reached out and grabbed the crenellations. Ryu used his momentum to flip over the wall and confronted the four archers. Ryu unsheathed his sword with a spin eviscerating two of the archers. The third tried to pull out a short sword and Ryu thrust forward with his sword, even though its tip was blunt. The thrust still did the job and crushed the man's neck beneath the force. Ryu spun around and clove through the arm of his final assailant and followed through with an overhead cleave which ended the fight then in there.  
  
Ryu shook off some of the gray matter still clinging to his sword and went down the stairs and into the city. The sun was setting at what seemed like a much slower pace, as if the sun wanted to be witness the events about to transpire. Ryu sheathed his blade and strode purposefully down the streets. No one was to be seen which struck Ryu as slightly off, but then again, considering Murnab ran this town, everything was considered normal. The giant coliseum loomed before him as his feet carried him onward, if Cizrai and Bo would take Nina somewhere, it would be there.  
  
Just as Ryu was going to reach the gates of the Coliseum an arrow found its way into his leg. Ryu looked up and noticed Bo with his bow and wolfish smile leering down at him. Ryu charged towards the door, anxious to avoid any more arrows. He jerked the missile out as he ran, feeling the puncture wound slowly closing in on itself. Ryu shifted his weight right before crashing shoulder first into the two massive doors. The doors opened with little resistance and Ryu rolled to his feet, sword out. The main room was empty though Ryu could pick up the sound of feet and the smell of armor.  
  
Ryu stood fully erect and looked around the room, his sword pointing towards the ground. Nine doors. Ryu grinned slightly as he realized their plan.  
  
With an echoing war cry, reverberating throughout the vaulted room, the slaves and soldiers of Dragker rushed into the room. Ryu had no intention of fighting the scores of warriors flooding the room and ran into the one door that had no soldiers pouring out of it. Ryu sprinted down the hall, knowing that the slaves and soldiers were following him but were there just to put him into the center ring. *Murnab always did love his arena fights.* Ryu thought just as he entered the arena, the door's portcullis slamming close behind him. Ryu's eyes focused in on Cizrai who was standing in the center of the ring, waiting for him.  
  
Ryu gazed around the coliseum, apparently Murnab was adding more to it since the northwest side was completely overshadowed by a series of wooden ramps and platforms that had several hewn stones at various stages on them. "I thought for sure Murnab would be out here to gloat or something." Ryu commented, waiting for the flamboyant man to pop up in his crimson uniform and spout off some speech. "So, what's going to happen now?" Ryu asked the Woren, her tail lashing about in anger.  
  
"I'm going to kill you." She said simply, leveling her spear at him. Ryu didn't recognize this one, it was probably new. It had steel filigree along the entire shaft and the blade was more pronounced, similar to a glaive.  
  
"That's new, Murnab give that to you?" Ryu asked as he circled his opponent. Cizrai's head turned with his movements but her body remained still.  
  
"He rewarded me with it after I dealt with an insurgent. And I'm sure he'll reward me again once I deal with you." Cizrai broke out of her stance and charged Ryu, thrusting her spear forward. Ryu backhanded the spear away from harming him and twisted his hand to grab a hold of it. Cizrai glowered up at him and tried to jerk free of his hold.  
  
"C'mon Cizrai, we all know who's going to win this fight. What happened last time you fought me hmm?" Ryu was smirking at the enraged Cizrai, she looked almost as mad as she was when they fought last time. Cizrai leapt up and planted both her feet on Ryu's chest and pushed off flipping backwards with her spear in her hand. She charged forward again, hoping to catch him off guard. Ryu brought his sword up, blocking the attack and grinding Cizrai's charge to a stop. Ryu pushed her back on handed and began to press his attack. "Last time I let you live, I'll not be making the same mistake twice." Ryu said jovially. He put Cizrai through her paces as he struck left, right, center up, leg sweep, and finished with a rising two handed sword stroke that knocked Cizrai off her feet.  
  
Ryu smirked down over his supine enemy. "It was good to see you again Cizrai." He brought his sword up, ready for an over head cleave only to have his legs knocked at from under him. He rolled to his feet and had his sword up, ready for the incoming strike except it never came. Cizrai had moved back, trying to lure Ryu to chase her. He knew the coliseum well enough to know that if he tried to chase her, something bad would happen.  
  
"What's the matter Ryu, afraid to chase after me?" Cizrai taunted from a safe forty feet away.  
  
"Calling me afraid when you've already run away doesn't make much sense. I'm not stupid Cizrai, otherwise you might never had fallen in love." Ryu said, knowing full well that if he kept reminding her of their past she would do something rash. Even from this distance Ryu could feel Cizrai's hate wash over him. "A bit touchy eh?"  
  
Cizrai charged from that distance. *She's pretty single minded about the kind of attacks she starts with.* Ryu thought as he prepared for her third assault. Ryu blocked the first strike easily enough but was unprepared for the drop kick that followed. Ryu was slammed against the wall for his lack of foresight and was pressed to defend from four quick strikes and knocked her back with a left hook. Ryu grabbed her spear and flung her into the wall, reversing their positions. "Remind you of anything Cizrai." Ryu taunted as she squirmed, trying to break free of the hold. Ryu was unprepared for what happened next, he had thought that the fight was in hand but he should have remembered Murnab's style better, he never let fights be one sided.  
  
Ryu felt the ground under him begin to shake. He looked down only to find that he was no longer on the ground. He had been sent airborne by one of the many traps littered about the arena. His flight came to an abrupt close when he met the ground. The impact sent him sliding into the wall directly underneath the new construction. Ryu scrambled to his feet and rushed to get out from underneath the all too tempting trap. Ryu spotted Cizrai hurling her spear towards some spot along the wall. Ryu didn't realize the significance of that throw until a beam of searing light flashed before him, incinerating the supports holding the stones above him. The beam of light was still in front of him and prevented him from moving forward and now the supports above him were beginning to crumble.  
  
Ryu rushed back towards the wall hoping it would prevent the brunt of the objects from falling on him. He was wrong. One of the larger support beams fell on top of Ryu knocking him to the ground. Ryu grunted in a Herculean effort to push the wooden support off of him but more weight was added to the beam as more and more stones began to tumble down upon him. His body couldn't take too much more of this, even with the new found strength his last near death experience had imparted. "Damn it all to hell." Ryu thought before he blacked out under the strain.  
  
* * *  
  
Cizrai stood looking at the ruin that had collapsed over Ryu. *Even he can't survive something like that.* She thought with pleasure, now she finally had her revenge upon that man. She was angered over Bo's interference however, she didn't like that fact that she had to rely upon the traps to beat him in the fight. Cizrai sighed and went over to grab her spear, her hand tightened on the shaft and she pulled it out of the switch. She tensed slightly as she heard the pile of stones and wood shift a little but settled down after a tense minute of bated breath.  
  
Cizrai shrugged off her paranoia and began walking out of the arena. Bo was waiting on the other side of one of the gates with Nina unconscious over his shoulder. "C'mon, we need to get this to Murnab." Bo said, patting Nina on the small of her back. Cizrai nodded after shooting yet another glance back at the pile of rubble. "He's dead Cizrai. One hundred percent guaranteed dead." Bo answered her thoughts as he noticed her gaze.  
  
"Yeah, I just wish you hadn't used the traps on him." Cizrai said with a mild bite. Bo shrugged in apathy and began walking down the hall. The slaves and guards which had rushed Ryu into the arena were back at their quarters now so the coliseum's halls were empty. The two walked in complete silence, both thinking about the coming ceremony. Just as they reached Murnab's floor the two stopped to notice the setting sun glare at them balefully.  
  
"The ceremony's going to start soon, we better hurry." Bo advised as he shifted Nina. Cizrai shrugged as she continued to look out at the red sphere looking back at her. In the pervasive silence of the hall both their ears perked up as they caught the echoing strains of Ryu's song. Cizrai's eyes widened in terror. *How could he still be alive, he was buried alive Dammit!* Cizrai turned around towards the one door leading into this room and was able to discern the growing shadow of a man who possessed Ryu's physique. "Hold him off for five minutes and I can be back with help!" Bo shouted as he tore down the hallway with Nina towards Murnab's office.  
  
Cizrai leveled her spear at the door, waiting for Ryu to come in. She didn't have to wait to long before Ryu came into sight. He looked surprisingly good for a man who had just been crushed buried under thousands of pounds of debris. He casually brushed off some dust from his left shoulder and flashed one of his patented smirks at her. "Good to see you again Cizrai." He greeted her jovially, belying his intent. Cizrai wasn't going to try charging him this time, she would try and feint, then spear him through the heart. Cizrai rushed forward but was caught off guard when he followed through not falling for her feint. He slammed his right fist into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to drop her spear from the shear pain and surprise. She tried in vain to draw another breath but she was having difficulties getting her lungs to work. So far she could only open and close her mouth like a gagging fish.  
  
Ryu's hand gripped her by the throat, his thumb placed upon a nerve causing her to be limp in his hands as he dragged her across the floor, his eyes upon the crimson sun. "Where's Nina?" Ryu asked, his voice still sinisterly companionable.  
  
"You fucking piece of shit! Going after anything with a pulse!" Cizrai shot at him, her fangs no less venomous now that she was incapacitated.  
  
"Come now, I'm a veritable connoisseur. Besides, you didn't seem to mind my antics last time." Ryu jibed back at her. Cizrai could almost laugh at this situation. Here she was trading insults with Ryu as he brought her up and dangled her off the ledge of the coliseum. "Well, they say cats always land on their feet. Better hope that Woren have the same quality." His grip loosened and Cizrai felt herself falling. The world slowed to a standstill. Memories flashed in front of her. Memories of when she first met Ryu, how nice things were. How they had worked together, and now, how he had killed her.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu dusted his hands off in satisfaction and he turned around to face the corridor. Bo would be joining him shortly possibly with more troops but most likely alone. They both didn't give him enough credit. Ryu thought as he moved towards the door Bo would be coming through. He took up a position just at the side of the door, not visible but close enough to surprise Bo with an attack. Ryu didn't have long to wait before he heard the labored breathing of the large Plainsman. Ryu brought his right fist across his chest and slammed it with full force against Bo's chest just as soon as he entered the door.  
  
The close-line forced Bo into an awkward flip which he landed supinely on the floor. His compound bow had been dropped in his unexpected flight and Ryu picked it up. Ryu snapped the finely crafted weapon and wrapped the string around each hand leaving about two feet of taut string between them. Bo got to his feet shakily and pulled out a pair of long knives he had kept in his boots. Ryu ducked under the clumsy swipes and head-butted the Plainsman into a daze. Ryu quickly spun around the teetering Bo created a loop with his makeshift garrote and looping it over his head. Ryu jerked suddenly and tightened the weapon around Bo's neck causing his to buckle under the pain. Ryu planted his foot on the Plainsman's back and pushed forward, forcing and even greater strain upon Bo. With a final, futile attempt to break free he collapsed and the dead weight sagged forward in Ryu's arms. "How ironic, killed with his precious bow string. I remember when you first got this bow, Bo," Ryu laughed slightly at the repetition of sounds. "You treated it like a child and that child grew up to kill ya. What are the odds?"  
  
Ryu dropped the corpse and went through the door and into the adjoining hall. It was devoid of activity and Ryu quickly hurried towards Murnab's office. Once he came in sight of the door he noticed Murnab's personal bodyguard holding his position right in front of the door. Ryu smirked at the drone as he approached the door. The bodyguard was a burly individual resplendent in a gleaming steel breastplate with a sword hilt poking over his left shoulder. The bodyguard looked ready to draw his sword but Ryu's left hook said otherwise. The large man was sent reeling and he was knocked flat on his back by the obligatory right hook that followed. Ryu turned the man over with his boot and pulled the sword free of its scabbard, feeling that he'd need it soon.  
  
The man stirred a bit and climbed unsteadily to his feet, using the wall as a support. "It'd be a good idea for you to leave, things are going to get ugly." Ryu said as he hoisted the man to his feet and dusted him off slightly.  
  
"You're really just going to let me leave?" He asked, flabbergasted at the good news.  
  
"No." Ryu swiftly beheaded the man before his facial expression could change so his head rolled about the floor, joyful surprise in its features. Ryu pivoted on his heel and opened the door, finding Murnab leaning back into his chair, a small smile playing on his lips as he swirled a cup of blood red wine. "Where's Nina?" Ryu asked, his voice going cold.  
  
Murnab twirled his wine glass around and watched entranced as the liquid swirled about in its own, mysterious dance. Ryu moved forward impatient at the man and cleaved through the desk before him in a one- handed chop. The desk splintered underneath the blow and still the man watched his glass. "Where's Nina?"  
  
"Come now Ryu, we can't have you breaking apart my office." Murnab scolded, his voice soft as he continued his admiration of his glass. Ryu picked the man up by his collar and slammed him into the bookshelf behind him, knocking several volumes down onto the ground. Murnab chuckled in the face of the Ryu as his glass shattered into pieces and the wine pooled on the ground.  
  
"Where's Nina?" Ryu asked a third time, his fist tightening on his sword. Murnab laughed even louder now and snapped his fingers once he regained his composure. One of the bookshelves opened up revealing another room from which a black cloaked man stepped through. Ryu dropped Murnab as he turned to face his new adversary. The cloaked man removed his hood and Ryu was confronted by an almost mirror image. The blue hair adorning the new man's head was brought back in a ponytail and the goatee was absent from his chin. The man was more lithesome than Ryu as well and was dressed in simple leather armor.  
  
"Good evening Ryu." The mystery man greeted Ryu almost casually, his voice rivaling Ryu's own coolness.  
  
"Fuck you Ryudo." Ryu replied, turning full front to face his next challenge. His mind reeled as his face remained emotionless, the man standing before him was his twin brother. Ryu's mind raced as he saw encounters, old episodes of his life with him and his brother always in combat with each other, both striving for superiority against the other. "Guess it's time for round thirty-seven." Ryu said, preparing himself for an attack.  
  
Ryudo smirked as he pulled out his sword, a katana. *Always loved his shit weapons.* Ryu thought as he scoffed at the weapon of choice. Ryudo wasted no time in pressing the attack, thrusting in rapid succession. The first thrust must have been designed to draw his attack up because the second blow went lighting fast towards the stomach. Ryu spun around the blow and his sword hilt into his brother's spine knocking him forward. Ryu charged after stumbling Ryudo but he recovered quicker than expected and lashed out with his sword which was caught by Ryu's blade. The two faced each other trying to force the other back. Ryu proved the stronger and forced the other back and slashed twice with his sword each stroke being confounded by Ryudo's parries.  
  
Ryudo replied with a fast kick into Ryu's stomach sending him back slightly leaving the other open to press the attack. Ryu blocked the series of attacks but was knocked to the ground by a surprise leg sweep. Ryu grabbed his brother's cloak as he was falling and flipped the other over and into the secret room. Ryudo rolled to his feet but not before Ryu had gotten to his and kicked his brother straight in the face, crunching bone underneath him. Ryu stopped his assault surprised at his good fortune, he had finished off his brother in record time. "I always knew that you were weak." Ryu said walking over to his unconscious brother, blood had pooled around the head though Ryu couldn't see any visible wounds. Ryudo used this moment to strike and launched three shurikens with his left hand which promptly embedded themselves within Ryu's stomach.  
  
Ryudo rolled to his feet and tried to eviscerate Ryu but his sword was blocked single handedly. Ryu plucked the three projectiles out of his stomach and tossed them casually over his shoulder and backhanded Ryudo with the same fist. Ryu pressed his attack bringing his sword about ambidextrously, pressing from both the right and left, trying to offset his brother. Ryudo preformed admirably though and blocked every attack and managed to pull of several of his own during the melee. Ryu thrust forward too strongly and Ryudo slipped out from his defensive mode and hamstrung Ryu causing him to fall forward and rely upon his sword for support. Ryudo brought back his sword for the coup de grace but it never came. Ryudo was distracted by something hitting his back. Ryu glanced over and saw Nina stumbling about, apparently she had been drugged and was now struggling in vain to lash out at her assailants. This diversion had given Ryu the time necessary to heal his wounds and counterattack. Ryu rose to his feet but Ryudo noticed him and launched another series of swipes to try and cut Ryu down to size.  
  
Ryu always left one of his hands open to give him some shifting ability but he used it to grapple Ryudo when the opportunity presented itself. Ryu gripped his brother by his coat collar after and unsuccessful lunge and hurled him forward through the wooden screen door and into the construction beyond. Ryu chased after the rolling body and slashed at an oblique angle, cutting through Ryudo's armor and into his flesh. The injured warrior spun to his feet hacking through one of the support beams with his sword. Ryu ran forward and tackled his brother forcing them both into a roll forwards to avoid the destruction. "I've already been crushed once today." Ryu said, punctuating his explanation with his fist. Ryudo nose cracked under the force and bent into an unnatural state.  
  
Ryu got off his dazed brother and hoisted him up before hurling him into the wall and watched him slide down. Ryu hustled over to grab his fallen and sword and to reface his enemy. Ryudo had already risen to his feet and was cracking his nose back into place. "Poor pathetic Ryu, anything you do to me will only make me stronger." Ryudo admonished him clucking his tongue in disappointment.  
  
"Shut the fuck up and fight!" Ryu retorted, charging his foe. Ryu's sword was blocked yet again, this time it was Ryudo forcing the other forward nearly knocking Ryu off the construction platform. Ryudo ran towards Ryu and leaped up into the air planting both feet against his brother and shoving off in a magnificent flip before landing on a higher tier. Ryu however was pushed off the platform and sent into a free fall before caught himself on one of the beams. Ryudo glanced down at him before turning his back and moving towards Murnab's room. *Dammit, this was just a diversion from what they're doing to Nina!* Ryu realized as he hung on for his life. Ryu pulled himself up and started to leap from platform to platform, getting higher and higher.  
  
Ryu reached the final tier to find that his hypothesis had been wrong. Ryudo was waiting for him to be foolish enough to jump up heads first onto the platform. Ryudo prepared to cleaver through the platform and Ryu's skull as he pulled his katana back prepared for the strike. Ryu dodged let go with one of his hands and let the sword go by without his blood staining it. Ryu pulled himself up and brought his sword hilt crashing into his brother's jaw before finishing him off with the backswing.  
  
Ryudo fell to the ground, a large rent in his face robbing him of his familiar looking features. He stirred slightly as the blood began to pool around him Ryu smiled as he was ready to rid the world and his life of Ryudo. "Parting is such sweet sorrow my brother." Ryu said as he prepared his sword to transfix Ryudo to the spot. His coup de grate was interrupted however by some of Murnab's shenanigans. A beam of darkness erupted from the ground just as the blood red sun had sunk below the skyline, further darkening the area. Ryudo's body began to rise as the magical force wreaked havoc upon his body.  
  
Just as soon as the beam appeared it disappeared and in its place stood a newly forged Ryudo. He was not, however the Ryudo that entered the beam but a different being with the build of Ryudo but the coloring of Murnab. No longer did green eyes shine from beneath a strong brow but black, soulless orbs resided there. The once streaming blue hair was a crimson red flowing in the breeze. Ryu prepared his sword and rushed this mockery of life only to have it burst into a cloud of darkness and drift away upon the zephyr winds.  
  
Ryu fell to his knees in exhaustion as the night spread its comfortless blanket it over him.  
  
* * *  
  
There we have it. I finished this up at three in the morning so it might have a few problems and might seem a bit rushed. Sorry, I just had to finish it while the iron was hot. Thanks for all those who reviewed the last chapter and I hope a great many more will review this one.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that Tuesday, is given to us by the Netherlandian God of War Tiw. Simply astonishing. 


	8. The Boss

Well, here's my next chapter. Master Dragon, you make a valid point, my story is well loaded with action. I don't particularly think it to be gratuitous but I admit, I seem to have placed an emphasis upon it. But its all purposeful, Ryu is a murdering bastard, and he expresses himself through violence. But you're right, action was the locus of my story and that's probably not going to change too much, I'm almost done with the story anyway so there's not much reason to change it just yet. Also, Gunslinger, Ryu's twin brother is named Ryudo because of that whole twin thing where parents will name their twins with similar names like Sean and Seana. That was my reasoning behind it. That and, it was the only name I could think of.  
  
Chapter Seven: The Boss  
  
Nina felt herself getting jostled about as she lay down on the semi- hard surface beneath her. There was definitely a cushion of sorts beneath her but it did little to prevent her from being sore at her current position. The way the surface beneath her jumped and jostled Nina surmised that she was in a carriage, and one that was moving at a pretty good clip. Nina pushed herself of the lumpy, nearly down less cushion and looked about.  
  
Her breath caught in her chest as she saw Ryu leaning back in his seat across from her, staring out the window, a smirk playing across his features. Nina wasted no time in gathering up some of her replenished energy and launched it into the face of her detested enemy. A bolt of fire erupted into being and the conflagration slammed home into Ryu's chest. A blinding flash and a cloud of smoke replaced the magical bolt but the smoke was quickly wiped away by Ryu's hand. Nina was about to fire another bolt of fire to finish the job but Ryu's hand gripped onto hers with viselike tenacity.  
  
A burning hole was torn into his armor and his chest was burnt and blackened but slowly, before her very eyes the dead skin gave way to a healthy, flawless chest again. "Please refrain from doing that in the future." Ryu said, his voice unnervingly polite and calm. Ryu let go of her hand and she quickly brought back to her, debating whether or not she would risk trying it again. "There's no need for us to be enemies, we're all mature, intellectual individuals." Ryu admonished smiling that oh so smug smile. Nina wanted to rip it off his face but she knew he would kill her just like he killed everyone else.  
  
"You are the sickest individual I've ever met. You are the worst excuse for a sentient being I've ever met." Nina spoke each word with a rage filled pause spacing them out, she was composed but her anger seethed inside of her. Ryu looked at with surprise, as if the very accusation which she had just uttered had been so off the mark so as to be laughable.  
  
"Clearly your mind has been frazzled by the recent events. I've done nothing but protect you from a wide variety of villainous characters. I aided you with the Kuriks, fought with you against the Risen and the Sorcerer, did battle with Bo and Cizrai to save you from the clutches of Murnab and Ryudo. I've been nothing but a veritable knight when it comes to our escapades." Ryu listed, categorically dismissing her charges.  
  
Nina mulled this over in her mind, it was true he had been nothing but the perfect gentlemen to her and had rid the world of a variety of shady characters. Nina remembered what had happened with Bo and Cizrai after they had gotten a safe distance from the town. She had tried to fight back but Bo's grip was too strong and the poison too debilitating. She shuddered at the memory and focused more upon the matter at hand. "What about Mezzryn, Aleric, and the other Rangers?" Nina asked, waiting with furiously bated breath, anger helping cure her fear.  
  
"Lamentable deaths I admit, and I can't help but feel responsible..." Ryu started, his features melding into a sorrowful form.  
  
"Aha! I knew it, you did it!" Nina accused her fist curling into a ball and ready to launch into his lying face.  
  
"But I did not kill them." Ryu finished, all of the vigor suddenly left Nina's body and she sat listlessly, staring at Ryu, waiting for his elaboration. "Bo, Cizrai, and Ryudo were working in concert under the direction of Murnab, not only to kill me but also to destroy as many Ranger outposts as possible. When they realized that one of the Rangers nearby was a Windian they made it their business to capture her, and destroy anyone who would complicate matters. Of course Mezzryn and Aleric were the first to go seeing as they were your partners. The Ranger Headquarters burning down was to rob you of a security base and then the fact that I was with you and hiding under a pseudonym just made things easier for them." Ryu finished his explanation and let out a sigh, his eyes seemingly filled with sorrow.  
  
"But what did Murnab want with me, who is Murnab for that matter?" Nina asked exasperatedly. She wasn't sure if he she could believe everything that Ryu said but at the same time he wasn't her enemy. If anything, he would likely be her staunchest ally against Murnab.  
  
"Sit back and I shall regale you with my knowledge on the matter. I'll step back a bit in time to the war with Janabis, at least what would've been a war if he hadn't died. I was slave warrior at the time along with my brother Ryudo. Ryudo and I hated each other with a fiery passion, it seemed that from birth we had been trained to fight and eventually kill each other to see which was stronger, apparently I am since the Ryudo I knew is no longer alive. He has merged with Murnab but I digress. At the time me and Ryudo were simply competing for a top spot within Janabis' military structure. Unfortunately that came to an end when Janabis up and killed himself trying to make a pact with some Archdemon. Well suffice to say that everything fell apart and I was a freelance mercenary.  
  
"Now, here's where Murnab comes in. He was the only man who had the kind of money to actually purchase all of those slaves and he turned it into a neat little business of the gladiator ring. Murnab also happened to pick up my brother, Ryudo which explains why the two captured you. Now, Murnab wants you for the very simple reason that you are a Windian and well, if he splices your soul within his own he becomes a much more powerful individual. This was before I knew about him being a magic user already so he might actually want you for something else that requires you sacrificed in a ceremony." Ryu completed his explanation, letting out a long breath, apparently glad that he didn't have to explain the story any longer.  
  
Nina sat back and remained silent, her eyes fixated upon a nonexistent figure within the carriage. She chewed on her lower lip as she absorbed all this information. She looked at Ryu who was watching her speculatively, his green eyes focused upon her with unnatural intensity. "How do you play into all of this? Why were you there when I seemingly needed the most help?" Nina enquired meeting his gaze steadily.  
  
"Like I said, I'm a mercenary, and a very good one at that. I was hired to find and protect you." Ryu explained simply, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back, his eyes glancing out the window into the lush forest environs.  
  
"But who hired you?" Nina asked, leaning farther towards Ryu.  
  
"All will be revealed in time." Ryu answered simply, his mind elsewhere in the world. Nina huffed in indignation as she stared out an opposite window, her fear and loathing of Ryu forgotten as the carriage drifted on lazily.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu sighed deeply as he looked out on the swiftly rolling plains beneath the violently rotating wheels beneath the carriage. His green eyes surveyed the environs around him as the evening sun cast a single red glance to the land before it hid itself beneath the horizon. It had been three days since his last big conversation with Nina, though she may trust him with her life she didn't want to entangle herself too deeply with a man she was taught to loath. The only real conversation they had had in the past was more questions about the nature of his employer. 'You'll know in good time was all that he'd told her.' *The time is coming upon us now though.* Ryu thought as he saw an increase of Windian patrols flying overhead.  
  
From the moment they had entered Windian territory Ryu had been on guard for any sort of scuffle. He would normally not shy away from a conflict with his second favorite prey but with the job near completion and the money almost his, he didn't really want to risk any last minute slip ups. He was a professional after all. Ryu sighed and climbed down his perch and into the carriage itself to find Nina staring dully out the window into the setting sun. "We should reach Werzingrad later this evening." Ryu informed her as he took his seat directly opposite from her. At the sound of this news she immediately straightened in her seat and stared at him with wide, shock filled eyes.  
  
"Werzingrad?" Nina asked, the questioning expression on her face turned onto Ryu. Her eyes immediately shot to the door and she sidled closer to it as she weighed her chances of escape. "I'm not going back there. You'll simply have to get your business finished without me or in another city. But I am not going to enter the Windian capitol." Nina announced, inching even closer towards the door.  
  
"You must not have too much experience with mercenaries and how these things work out. I take you to the guy who hired me regardless of where that may be and then I wash my hands of the subject, leaving you with whatever the guy wanted you for. Though, to allay your fears, my employer is not the type to do anything too evil or cruel to you." Ryu jokingly conversed with Nina flashing his patented smile at her. The look she gave him was so devoid of the humor he had hoped to instill in her that Ryu's smile slowly slid off his face. *Oh well, there goes any chance of levity.*  
  
They both rode along in silence, Nina chewing her lip nervously as they drew closer to their final destination. Ryu leaned back in his seat and looked out the window as more and more houses with small gardens were occurring with greater frequency. "Won't be too long now." Ryu continued his joke, mildly enjoying the torment Nina was going through. The silence continued after that comment and the darkness grew deeper around them, as if to fit the dark mood of the carriage.  
  
The carriage slowed to a halt and Ryu stood up and began to step out of the carriage. He looked pointedly at Nina, implying that she should follow willingly. Nina sighed and got up and smoothed her skirt before walking farther out of the carriage and into the moonless night. Before them hovered the great city of Werzingrad and directly in front of them were the great barges, built at the end of the Dragon Wars to only allow friendly forces into the city. They were said to malfunction if any dragon were to ever step into them but that was probably a lie. Ryu was surprised to find so many guards awaiting them at the barge. *Royal Knights. It's enough to make the stomach churn.* Even in the dark of night their armor seemed to gleam from too much polish.  
  
One of them stepped forward, a Captain by the emblem upon his shoulder, and bowed deeply to Ryu and Nina. "We can take care of her from here Mercenary Ryu." He declared in a flawless tenor voice.  
  
"I think not, I don't trust Windians, especially when it comes to them and their money. Besides, I take orders from The Boss, and no one else." Ryu retorted, planting a hand firmly on the breastplate of the Captain keeping him from reaching Nina. He seemed ready to fight him over this but he quickly regained his composure and acquiesced to Ryu's wishes.  
  
"Very well, if you will follow me." He said tersely before swiveling upon his foot and moving back to his guards and the barge. The shadow of the vessel was somewhat intimidating to Nina and Ryu as it loomed before them, its propellers jutting out to the side and its great hull was marred by the opening of a giant drawbridge leading deeper into its recesses, like a gaping maw, prepared to swallow a tasty morsel. Amidst the score or so of Royal Knights stood another figure, his pearly wings spread slightly as if to show off their own opulence. The figure wasn't armored but looked like a man fully capable of taking care of himself. Ryu immediately recognized the man as his employer and hollered over to him as they got near.  
  
"Hey Boss, I've got her for you. Prime condition, hardly a hair out of place." Ryu informed, ushering forth Nina into the circle of Knights. Nina stared at the ground, not wanting to meet the man's eyes. He looked sternly down at the young Ranger after shooting an acid glance at Ryu.  
  
"We were very worried about you Nina. It is unbecoming of a young lady, let alone royalty to behave in such a manner." He intoned gravely, his voice a deep bass used to giving orders and having them followed. Ryu, who had previously been fiddling with his sword handle as he gauged his chances of beating these guys in a fight clenched his hand tightly upon his sword hilt and he looked at both Nina and The Boss in surprise.  
  
"You mean to say that Nina is the Princess Nina. The Princess Nina next in line for succession, Princess Nina the fabled beauty of the Windian Race who was to be the betrothed of the late Prince Elric, I've been busting my ass to save a Princess this entire time? Talk about irony. I'm surprised you trusted me." Ryu chortled, amused at the situation. Apparently his humor was lost upon the group of Windians for they stared at him coldly.  
  
"Anyways, come Nina, back to the castle with you. We have much to discuss." He intoned again in his regal voice, waiting to see her reaction.  
  
Nina finally lifted her eyes to meet those of The Boss and Ryu could see a complete vacuum of emotion. "Yes, Father."  
  
* * *  
  
Here we go, the chapter is finished. It was shorter than usual since I didn't really plan on having much in this chapter. It goes along with my writing style of planning all my chapters around a single event and depending on how much I have to do to get that event done is how long it takes. Later people, be sure to read and review cause otherwise I'll feel terrible about myself and you wouldn't want that on your conscience.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that the buttons on women's clothes are on the opposite side to men's because in the Victorian age the servants who dressed the women found it easier to button them that way since they, the servants, were right handed for the most part? Ass clenching excitement in that fact. 


	9. Baptism of Fire

OK, I'm going to start writing another chapter and this one might take awhile to get done simply because I'm lazy and all that other kind of shit. This will be going back to my typical style of action and fighting. I just can't see my story going without action for more than a chapter. I'm just a single style author like that. I'm glad you guys found it surprising that Nina was a princess, I thought you all would have guessed it.  
  
Chapter Eight: Baptism of Fire  
  
Ryu stretched languidly upon his down stuffed bed, with the silk sheets and the exquisitely stuffed pillow. *I should work for royalty more often.* Ryu stretched even more as he thought about this, his spine popping satisfyingly as he began to bring himself out of his slumber. A knocking on the door interrupted his morning ritual and he got to his feet in irritation. He sighed in exasperation as made his way through the opulently decorated room, the rugs feeling most comfortable beneath his feet as they thudded on the stone floor towards the door.  
  
Ryu's sword was propped up against the all right next to the door and his new suit of armor, a silvery chain mesh, lay on a chair beside the sword. Ryu opened the door slightly to find one of the younger maids assigned to this part of the castle standing, looking demurely at the ground. *This place has it all.* She was cute, not as pretty or as voluptuous as Cizrai or Nina, but it was a start. "I'm supposed to tidy up your room now, unless of course you're busy." She said, still not looking him in the eye.  
  
"I'm not particularly busy; come in, come in." Ryu replied quickly ushering her into the room before she could protest.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu came out of the room about an hour or two later. The maid was under orders to exit after him so as to not arouse too much suspicion. Ryu was dressed in a set of clothes the King had provided him with and was in the process of belting on his sword when he saw the Knight Captain making his war towards his room. Ryu smirked slightly as he looked down at the Captain. The Windian clearly detested the job he was assigned to so Ryu rubbed it in a little as the Knight prepared yet another message or request. "So what does the Kingdom of Windia want with me today?" Ryu asked impudently as he leaned against the wall.  
  
"They would like to know why you are spending so much time with the castle maids." He responded acerbically. Ryu laughed in response to the look on the Windian's face. Ryu gestured for him to follow as they talked, Ryu starting off with a brisk pace.  
  
"Maids are by far the most knowledgeable people I know." The Captain snorted at this remark but Ryu kept going. "No truly, maids know all the gossip and all the information that happens to be floating around. If you want to know how the nobility are doing just ask the people cleaning up after them." Ryu explained noticing the door to his room opening and closing behind them.  
  
"Right... Nina wishes to talk to you and the King has intimated to me that this should be your last day here. I hope I have spelled things out clearly enough for you." The Knight said in his no nonsense tenor.  
  
"Alright, I get the picture. I'm a bad influence upon society so I should get out. I've got another job that needs taking care of anyways." Ryu replied smugly, the Knight looked thankful and Ryu just smirked as he walked away towards the upper gardens. He figured that was where Nina was seeing as that's where he had met her last time. "Oh and if you wanted to be discreet and not talk to Nina about the maids, I'd be thankful." Ryu requested as he continued walking down the long hall towards the stairs.  
  
"Why should I cover for you?" The Knight asked, looking extremely annoyed with the request.  
  
"'Cause she won't believe you anyways. I may happen to be a mercenary and a heartless one at that but I still like to let women have their romantic notions about me." Ryu answered in his smugly satisfied tone. The Knight snorted in disgust but he seemed to acquiesce to the request. Ryu spun around again and took the steps two at a time, anxious to meet with Nina again. *Wonder what she wants to talk about today?*  
  
* * *  
  
The door to the room opened and a fourth member walked into the shadowed room. The room was lit by four candles that shed a minute fraction on light onto the hooded figures standing at the four cardinal points around the table supporting the candles. Each was alike in stature and each looked with shadowed faces at the others. "Let the meeting commence." Each intoned in unison.  
  
"Our progress has been remarkable. We have enough arms and followers prepared to wield them so as to easily defeat any forces that the King can marshal." The northern figure said as he placed his hand upon the candle directly in front of him, casting the northern part of the room into shadow.  
  
"The army of mercenaries is currently in position to intercept any forces that may come to break the siege into the city." The eastern figure stated and put out his candle as well.  
  
"Key guards have been bribed or replaced with our own. We have also seized key siege weapons to launch a volley into the castle itself and to make an organized resistance impossible." South claimed, putting out his candle with a slight flourish.  
  
"The one known as Ryu will be dealt with. The King will also die before he can lead his forces." West informed the others in a quiet, almost sibilant voice. He too put out his candle and the entire room was bathed in darkness.  
  
"And so it begins..."  
  
* * *  
  
"For the last time Nina, I will not take you with me when I go!" Ryu shouted to the truculent Windian, his hands gripping her firmly on the shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes. "Its bad for business if I just get the job done only to create the need for it to be done again. Granted I'd probably turn a tidy profit if I did that but I digress. I don't need the Windian army mad at me again." Ryu finished explaining his reasoning for the third time as he sat Nina down on a bench and he took up pacing in the garden.  
  
It truly a lovely garden when Ryu thought about it, with patches of beautiful flowers in bloom creating a vast patchwork of colors. Great trees sprouted in intervals along the path, providing a shaded region for people to sit upon gleaming white benches. *I can understand why Nina stays in this place from dawn till dusk.* Ryu thought as he gazed up into the great tree overhead.  
  
"Why not? You don't seem to care when the rest of the world wants you dead. Besides, you said your job was to protect me. Think of this as you protecting me from the Kingdom of Windia." Nina wheedled Ryu as she tried to get her way.  
  
"No. My job was to get you here unscathed and I'm not going to take another job to get you out of here in case that's what you're thinking. Why do you want to leave so badly anyways?" Ryu asked, beginning to lose his temper here in the ideal environs.  
  
"I just don't like it here. My father keeps telling me that I'm supposed to help my people and the world in which we live but then he stifles me up inside this castle waiting until he can find some fop to marry me off to. That's not helping people! That's just a waste of time! That's why I ran off, I just wanted to get the hell away from here!" Nina ranted, getting all worked up about the injustices of life and how her father was a hypocrite and blah blah blah. Ryu quit paying attention and just started undressing her in his mind.  
  
"Ryu... Ryu!" Nina shouted his name and he snapped out of his reverie. "So, what do you think?" Ryu had no idea what he thought.  
  
"I agree with you in principal but disagree in practice." Ryu said in non-committal fashion. If you don't know what's going on, always remain neutral. Nina's face went slack and her eyes seemed crestfallen as she lost what she thought of as her staunchest ally. And perhaps Ryu was her staunchest ally. *A sad thought, now that I think about it.* Ryu pondered amusedly.  
  
His eyes had been staring with unfocused sight upon a fluffy white cloud drifting lazily in the distance. It kind of looked like a dragon if his head was turned just right. The cloud that looked like a dragon was immediately ripped apart and set adrift as a confederation of loosely affiliated clouds by a giant neon green explosion launched from some part in the city. "Nina, look out over there. Is there some sort of celebration planned?" Ryu asked his eyes focusing harder upon the still burning flare. Nina turned around and focused upon the same mark in the otherwise pristine blue sky.  
  
"I don't know..." Nina trailed off as more flares began to erupt in the brilliant blue sky. Ryu tore his eyes away from the sky and looked down upon the streets of Werzingrad. People began to pour out of their houses and into the streets of the city, all converging upon the castle.  
  
"Ah shit." Ryu muttered aloud as he lamented his loss of relative peace. He didn't need to be thrown into a civil war, especially not when he just wanted to get some rest. Now he was likely to be drafted by one of the sides and he would rather they both kill each other upon this God forsaken floating rock. "Nina I'd suggest returning to your room." Ryu said, feeling the stirrings of a headache just beginning to be felt.  
  
"Why should I go back to my room? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Nina fired back, crossing her legs and leaning back on the bench content to stay right where she was. A great fireball arced over the side lip of the platform hoisting up the garden. It traveled majestically over head before crashing into the center of the garden, bathing the flowers and trees in fire.  
  
"That's why! Now go dammit!" Ryu shouted at the shocked Windian. Ryu didn't wait to see if she complied, he was going to have some long words with whoever it was that decided to ruin his vacation from fighting. *Isn't that just the way life works out? The one time I don't feel any compunction to slaughter a whole mess of Windians is the day they have a fucking civil war!* Ryu thought as he pulled his sword out. More bales of pitch and naphtha exploded into the garden, saturating the place with fire. An occasional bale erupted close to Ryu but he simply walked forward, trying to figure out why they were attacking the garden first. Well, maybe not first but why they attacked it at all. It wasn't an easily defendable position nor was it particularly strategic. The denizens of the castle couldn't use it to escape and no one of any real importance... Nina. The people were trying to kill Nina or at least trap her there. *Ah shit.* Ryu thought clutching his head again as yet another matter was added to his headache.  
  
"Alright fate, this is how it's gonna work out. I'm going to flip a coin: heads I rush back to save Nina or tails, I remain neutral and kill anyone who makes it their business to be killed by me. Ready, here goes." Ryu flipped the coin and watch it go end over end finally finishing its flight in his gauntleted palm. Ryu had caught the coin with a closed fist and now he opened his hand, almost like a flower opening its petals wanting to drink in the sweet light of the sun. "Tails. Sorry Nina, that's just the way fate works." Ryu said in a 'them's the brakes fashion' as he strolled into the hallway next to the garden.  
  
Sounds of swords clashing together and people dying and bellowing in the fight. *Guess I better get my armor.* Ryu thought as he moved down along the hall watching as frightened servants and troops rushed through the hall going this way and that. Ryu finally reached his room and stepped in to grab his new armor. Inside the room was deceptively quiet and Ryu grabbed his sword in anticipation.  
  
"I'm glad I came back here." A voice from Ryu's side emerged and caused Ryu to turn and face it. It was the same Royal Knight who had been hounding Ryu all along.  
  
"What, trying to recruit me into fighting your battles? I think not." Ryu said, turning his back on the Knight and reaching over to grab his armor.  
  
"I didn't come to recruit you. I came to kill you for bringing this upon us!" He exclaimed, lunging towards Ryu. Before the Knight had any real chance to attack he had been decapitated by Ryu in one lighting swipe. Blood fountained up from the wood spraying the carpet and Ryu's legs with the crimson substance.  
  
"Lousy knights." Ryu spat as he pulled his armor up over his head and onto the undershirt required for the chain mesh. Next came the black leather jerkin that had some white gold tooled into it for added effect. Ryu re-sheathed his sword across his back and walked out of the door. More troops were storming down the halls but these were different from the traditional Knights of the castle. These looked like guerilla troops, that theory even more firmly reinforced by the red bands tied around their heads or arms to distinguish them from the other Knights, seeing as their color was blue. "You must be the revolutionaries." Ryu said, planting himself firmly in the center of the hall, preventing them from passing. "Congratulations, for today only have I got a deal for you. I have deigned to withdraw myself from neutrality." Ryu announced, beaming at the five warriors before him. They smiled to, glad to hear that a potentially dangerous enemy would now become a powerful ally. "Unfortunately, I'm on my side." Ryu added that little qualifier in there just as he drew his sword and swiftly impaled the guerilla directly in front of him.  
  
Ryu ripped the sword out of the man's torso and turned it upon the two assailants on his left going low and cutting the legs out from underneath one and rising up to cleave through the arm and torso of the second. Ryu reversed himself and planted his foot on the wall and pushing off to gain momentum on his second wave of attacks. He parried a clumsy attack and crushed the man's skull with his backswing. Ryu ducked under the thrust by the last guerilla and brought his still trailing sword horizontally through the man's stomach, cutting him in two. Ryu let the force of the swing carry him full circle before stopping and sheathing his sword. Ryu rotated his neck out and sighed a little as his muscles loosened up. Ryu moved swiftly down the hall, searching for the stairwell to carry him towards the main hall or some other exit.  
  
His feet inexorably carried him forward, his sword out and covered with blood. He didn't encounter any more soldiers from either side but the sounds of their struggle reverberated throughout the stone walls. At last Ryu hit the main floor of the castle and a brutal melee writhed around him as insurgents and knights alike hacked each other apart in a grim dance of steel and blood. Ryu could feel a smile twitching at the side of his lips as he looked around at the carnage. Ryu wasted no time in hurling himself into the thick of things cutting apart those who stood before him. Swords hit the ground, the owner's arm still attached followed by the body of the man who owned both arm and sword. Blood drenched the flagstones as rank upon rank joined the dead in their soundless screams.  
  
Adrenaline coursed through Ryu's veins as something awoke within him. His eyes took on a luminous quality as the battle raged on. Guerilla, knight, large, small, the strong, the dexterous, all were equal when faced with the steel of his sword. The fight continued behind him but Ryu pushed onward, searching for the leaders of this insurgence. In his haste he hurled himself into the chapel. A great statue of Myria stood with a radiant stained glass backdrop depicting the coming morn. Great columns inlaid with beaten gold were spaced out evenly among the great hall. Seated in prayer at one of the pews was a man clothed in large brown trench coat. Ryu's eyes bored into the man's back, sensing something not right about this man sitting calmly with his back to him.  
  
"Good morning Ryu." The praying man greeted Ryu, his voice soft yet forceful. He stood up slowly, revealing a height as great as Ryu's as he turned slowly to face him. His features were cast into shadows by the hat he wore and his hands were enveloped in the comfort of his sleeves. Ryu gripped his sword more tightly as he prepared himself for the coming fight. "I'm Sellaving. Just in case you wanted to know the name of your murderer that is." Sellaving said in his soft voice, his arm suddenly moving to eye level and jerking back as a large steel bolt erupted from the shadows of his sleeve, aiming straight for Ryu.  
  
Ryu sidestepped the projectile and dashed forward bringing his sword up in the process hoping to cut the man down before the fight could drag out two long. The man was quick however, quicker than Ryu had anticipated and his sword was caught between two, slightly curved, short swords. Since his sword was caught low his position was rather precarious since Sellaving's swords were on top and fully capable of moving in for the strike. Sellaving picked up on that too and moved his swords forward almost too fast for Ryu to react to. Ryu shifted his sword to a vertical position holding the weapons at bay before pushing the other mercenary off him and into one of the pews.  
  
Ryu pushed his attack onward and prepared an overhead cleave of his victim. All Sellaving had time to do was roll out of the way as Ryu clove through the sturdy wooden bench. Ryu ripped his blade sideways to catch the attack of the mercenary before swiveling the sword in a defensive arc to block the second attack. Ryu lashed out with his foot, connecting with the other man and knocking him backward. Ryu thrust forward trying again to finish the fight by transfixing his opponent upon his sword.  
  
Sellaving had desired this strike from the beginning it seemed as he deftly rolled under the thrust and pierced Ryu neatly through the rib cage with his left short sword. Ryu backhanded the triumphant Sellaving knocking him to the ground and then watched as he slide across the smooth marble floors. Ryu put his hand leadenly on the sword and started to pull the blade out of his side. His breathing was labored since the sword had punctured his lung. But even as the world swam around him he could feel his body working to heal itself in its time of need. Ryu jerked upon the sword but it was caught on his bone. The blade was serrated to make exiting difficult. Ryu gritted his teeth as he set himself for the pain that was about to come up.  
  
Sellaving had been staring at Ryu this entire time which Ryu thought was a little odd. *Why isn't he taking advantage of this?* Ryu thought through a pain wracked mind. Ryu looked deep into the eyes of his enemy and the reflection that greeted him chilled him to the bone even as the environment around him heated up. Ryu didn't even bother to turn around as the glass shattered behind him. Time slowed down for the mercenary as he stood, hand on the sword impaled inside of him. The statue behind him suddenly burst into flames as it was soaked in the pitch launched via catapult. The burning rain enveloped the area, lighting upon Ryu delicately, almost like butterfly wings before the force of the impact knocked Ryu to the ground, burying him under a blanket of fire.  
  
* * *  
  
Sellaving walked casually out of the burning cathedral, almost strutting in his pleasure of the situation. Here he was, the slayer of the great Ryu. The invincible man had been killed by none other than Sellaving. Sellaving took in a deep breath, almost exultantly. "I've never cared for the smell of pitch before but I think I could get to like it." He mused to himself as he strolled along. He eventually came into the King's Hall and found many of the rebel soldiers standing about, catching some rest after a fierce stint at fighting. The old King lay dead on the floor, his back to the throne as he had died trying to escape. Merudar was standing roughly in the center of the hall, his armor gleaming in the torchlight. Several of his elite troops were clustered around him, putting on a show of force. Sarcenos was sitting indolently in the King's Throne, his fingers steeped as he look speculatively across the room. "Where's Gerard?" Sellaving asked of the two as he entered the room.  
  
"He's off hunting Nina." Merudar replied while he was still looking at his map of the castle. One of his advisors gesturing where there were still pockets of resistance. "Sellaving, if you don't mind would you take the flag and unfurl it at the watch tower?" Merudar asked as he looked up from his map and brought at the furled piece of cloth. Sellaving shrugged and took the flag and headed towards the central staircase leading up to the tower. It was going to be a long climb up.  
  
* * *  
  
Those who say the last moments of life are spent viewing memories that sum up the entirety of the life you lived are lying to you. The last sight before your eyes is the taunting face of death. The only thing you can see is the leering face of your failure, clawing at your eyes, reminding you an infinite number of times how you died and what you could have done to prevent it. Hindsight seems so simple to the dying man. Everything could have been easily averted if only he had this or that..  
  
Ryu could feel his skin begin to melt off in the intense heat. He writhed in unimaginable pain as the fire bathed him in its ferocity. The skin that fell off was replaced by fresh, healed over patches of flesh cooling the pain Ryu had felt only to be torn away by unsatisfied fires. Ryu's breath came out in bits and spurts as the smoke and ash robbed him of the sweet balm of air. His eyes were glazed over by the heat, open to a world with nothing in except the red heat of suffering. Ryu curled up into a fetal position, trying to find some sort of succor amid the raging torrent around him.  
  
As he lay, rocking back and forth the fire caressed him with its barbed glove, leaving streaks of pain in its wake. His heart grew louder in his ears beating faster and faster. A vice had clamped down upon his lungs, crushing them beneath its iron claws. Ryu struggled for breath amidst bed of fire as his heart thundered inside his head, thrashing to release itself from the tormented husk it was trapped in. With one final beat his heart grew silent. The vice on his lungs snapped and became impotent. The fires were no longer an intense heat but a mild comfort bringing him a last moment of peace. Ryu's world grew dark and tranquil.  
  
* * *  
  
Nina rushed down the hall, knocking over platforms and small pedestals with priceless artwork placed atop them in her haste. She didn't know who it was that hunted her but he was immune to any kind of magic that he threw at her. Her most powerful spells were as harmless as raindrops upon cloaked Windian. Nina saw that this hall ended room that she wasn't sure had an exit. Normal Windians might have been able to escape the trap she had knowingly entered. She flung the door open and closed it just as quickly taking a solid gold torch off of the wall and placed it between the handles, hoping that it would be enough to stop him. The room was nothing more than a black hole, despite the hour of the day, usually used as a study by visiting royalty. Nina used that last bit of her energy to hurl a small spell at one of the windows, shattering it to pieces. She may not have been able to fly but he might not know that. Nina quickly dove under a desk and hugged her knees to her chest as she waited for him to enter. She heard a sharp thud on the door and closed her eyes in fear, her body shaking.  
  
*I wish Ryu was here.*  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu's heart began to beat again suddenly. A bit of life had entered into his body again and with that so did the pain. His heart began to throb in a mixture of joy and pain, beating at an accelerated rate as if to make up for lost time. The pain was no longer relegated to his outside however, now it coursed through his veins. His chest thrust forward in excitement at the prospect of living again, all too happy to breathe the sweet air in again. But with each beat of the heart, each new wave of blood coursing through his body brought forth new pain. The fire was a lover's embrace compared to this. The heart beat faster and the lungs clamped tighter. No air was coming in to fuel this rate of living but air was immaterial to his new life. All he needed to live now was pain.  
  
His body jerked into a spread eagle position, muscles clenching and unclenching in their remembered freedom. Vision shot back into his eyes as well as his other senses. The world was vibrant with everything once more. The smell and sensation of fire were nothing like he had ever experience before. The softest silk, the finest perfume paled in comparison to what he felt now. The blood flowing through him brought with it new life devoid of pain. The pressure upon his lungs had snapped allowing breath to enter his lungs. The acrid smoke which once sent him to his needs was a soothing balm upon his pain wracked body. The air that came in, no matter how tainted brought an unprecedented health to his body.  
  
Ryu propped himself up to a sitting position and looked around the world that greeted him. The once golden columns had been melted down into great puddles opulence. The statue of Myria was surrounded by an aura of fire which burned continuously upon the stone flesh of the Goddess. Myria's eyes seemed almost alive and glared down upon him with malevolence beyond what humans were capable of. Ryu shoved himself off the ground and stood upon newly formed legs. His leather pants scorched and worn but still clinging to his body. His chain shirt still hung upon his chest but the garment worn over it was nothing more than the ashes strewn on the ground or in his hair.  
  
Ryu clenched his fist reveling in the strength that had been given to him by death. Sellaving's sword was still embedded in his side, Ryu grinned, almost ashamed to remove it. The weapon had been part of his rebirth, part of what made him into this new form. Ryu gripped it and pulled it out to find it accompanied by a small river of blood that quickly closed up. Ryu's sword was still clamped in his hand, the muscles refusing to relinquish the blade. Ryu inhaled deeply the air around him; the smoke and ash, sweet incense to him as he looked around the rest of the chapel. The short sword in his hand reminded him of what he wanted to do right now. *What a time to be alive.* Ryu thought as he strode out of the burning cathedral.  
  
Ryu strode down the hall, his footsteps echoing on the hard stone floor. The rest of the castle was completely silent, the sounds of fighting and dying were elsewhere in the world. A set of wooden doors, bound in iron, stood before him barring him from passing. Regardless of whether or not the doors may have been locked Ryu kicked it down, sending it sliding across the floor grating upon the ears of any who heard it. Ryu walked into the hall looking at the surprise and fear in the eyes of the soldiers clustered there. One man sat in the King's throne, the rightful owner of that piece of metonymy lay dead at the foot of it.  
  
The soldiers quickly got over their fear and charged the searching Ryu. *Sellaving is not here. I suppose these will do for now.* Ryu thought looking at the troops amassing before him. Probably a score of guerillas had set themselves against him. Without hesitation, Ryu hurled the shortsword straight at one of the troops, piercing through the thick plate armor protecting him. Ryu rushed after the projectile as soon as it had left his hands, staying close behind it. The blade hit seconds before Ryu ripped it out and brought it in a wide arc, cutting through a surprised soldier's neck. Ryu thrust in the opposite direction with his sword impaling another shocked guerilla and three lay dead before they had moved an inch. Ryu ripped his sword out as the man fell and clove through the hastily brought up weapon, and the man holding it feebly. A man charged at him and Ryu slammed his elbow straight into the throat of the man, crushing it beneath the colliding forces.  
  
The men began to swarm Ryu, each stabbing with ineffectual weapons. Ryu thrashed about him in a controlled rage. His swords darting in and out of his opponents mailed bodies.  
  
One last soldier stood before Ryu and fell to his knees, his sword broken tying to block an attack from Ryu. "Please don't kill..." The last words of his plea were silence by Ryu's sword. The soldier's head rolled across the ground, still inside its helm of embossed steel. Ryu looked to the man still sitting indolently in his throne. His feet now propped upon the dead King's body.  
  
"Congratulations my angry friend, you are now able to kill grunts. But how will you fare against one of my talents?" He taunted, his voice almost nasal as he leered down at Ryu. The man jerked his hand suddenly preparing to launch a spell before Ryu could react. But Ryu did react, his sense picking up on the nature of this man's "talents." Ryu hurled the serrated shortsword straight at the sorcerer's upturned hand, the blade piercing the flesh and sinking into the wood behind it. "Ahhh!" The man cried out in agony, his voice no longer carrying the arrogance it had earlier possessed.  
  
Ryu walked slowly up the steps to the throne and the whimpering man now in possession of Sellaving's sword. The man was cringing in terror, his body curled into a fetal position, except his hand and the arm it was attached to. Ryu grabbed the sword and jerked it out of the throne and hand, the man let out another pitiful wail and whimpered some more. "Please don't hurt me!" He pleaded, looking at the serrated blade that had his own blood slowly dripping off it. "I'll pay you whatever you want, just don't hurt me!" He wailed out, his voice reaching another octave in his fright.  
  
Ryu grabbed the man by his throat and lifted him off the throne and into the air, his feet dangling about a foot off the ground. "This isn't about money. Where's Sellaving?" Ryu asked, his face mere inches away from the shuddering man.  
  
"He's in the watch tower, getting ready to unfurl our flag." The frightened sorcerer said, his voice loud and nasal, even when Ryu was inches away. The whimpering fop refused to look at Ryu but insisted upon keeping his face averted. Ryu threw the man back into the ornate chair, rocking backward as it received the loathsome burden. Ryu's eyes shot down to what was beside the throne, a staff entwined with gold. Ryu bent down to pick it up and weighed it in his hands before looking at the sorcerer cradling his hand.  
  
"Is this yours?" Ryu asked the man, a smirk playing across his features.  
  
* * *  
  
Sellaving finally reached the top of the long flight of stairs leading to the top of the watchtower. He looked down below to find some patches of the Royal Knights entrenched in the streets, still fighting the rebel forces. Well, regardless of whether or not the Royal Knights were able to turn back the rebels their leaders were dead or in the process of being killed leaving them as nothing more than a chicken with its head cut off.  
  
Sellaving sighed in annoyance as he began pulling on the rope to bring the old flag down. "They could've at least sent one of the regular soldiers up here to do this." Sellaving thought bitterly as he untied the old flag from the rope and let it drift to the ground.  
  
"But then you wouldn't have had as long to live." Sellaving heard someone's voice directly behind him and he turned to look around and saw something that made him drop the weapon he had pulled out mid-spin. Ryu was standing alive, battered and ash covered, but still alive. But this time something about his eyes were different. They glowed in the darkness of the room and his pupils were no longer circular but two vertical slits grinning at him with feral intensity. "You forgot this." He said with an almost compassionate air. Sellaving was perplexed however, he didn't really know what Ryu was talking about. His questions were soon cleared up by the appearance of his shortsword flying towards him. Sellaving would have liked to move but his feet were rooted to the spot by his own fear. His eyes were crossed when the sword embedded itself in him. He was alive long enough to see the skewered blade quiver slightly at the force of the impact.  
  
* * *  
  
Merudar had grown impatient waiting for Sellaving to finish his job. "I should have just sent a soldier up." He muttered under his breath, scanning the watchtower. He had seen the old flag float to the ground but the new one had yet to come up. His elite troops were making their way through the courtyard, finishing up the loyal troops still fighting, only two of his personal guards were still standing by him. Merudar spat at the ground in disgust, a bitter taste in his mouth.  
  
"Sir, something's just gone up the flag pole. I can't tell what it is though." One of his guards said looking up at the sky, shielding his eyes with his hand. The day had progressed quickly, it was dusk by now, the sun obscuring the tower almost entirely.  
  
Merudar responded to the comment by pulling out his collapsible telescope. He trained it upon the watchtower receiving some sun glare for his troubles. After a few moments of focusing a grisly sight came into view. The "flag" suspended from the pole was Sellaving's body, twisting fitfully in the wind. "Holy shit." Merudar said, awe and horror entering into his voice. "C'mon troops, we've got to find out who the hell did that." Merudar said to the five elites in the immediate vicinity. "Lieutenant, you're in charge." He finished his orders and dashed into the castle's anteroom.  
  
Everything was in order here, no troops present but they were already outside or patrolling more dangerous areas. Merudar and his other troops moved quickly but carefully down the long hall towards the King's Hall. The large doors stood before him still closed, but Sarcenos and a score of troops were holding it so Merudar wasn't too worried. Merudar opened the doors to the hall and looked in, the sight before him caused him to blanch along with his guards. The score of troops had been cut down horrifically and Sarcenos had been impaled into the throne. "Gods above." One of his guards whispered, the sentiment shared by the others.  
  
Merudar walked down the hall carefully, his eyes scanning the recesses of the columns to see if the murderer still lurked here. "First Sellaving was killed, and now Sarcenos, who the hell is this guy?" Another of his guards asked as he peered down at the dead bodies. Merudar had reached the throne and looked at the object holding Sarcenos in place, it was his staff, but it had been broken in two and stabbed into each of his lungs. Merudar fought the urge to vomit and turned back to his guards.  
  
"We don't know if it was only one person. It's more likely that a squad of Royal Knights had come through and done this." Merudar said, trying to allay his own fears along with those of his troops. Some of his guards nodded but one looked speculatively down at the bodies.  
  
"I hate to tell people when they're wrong but it just happens that they are so often mistaken." A voice commented from behind Merudar. He turned sharply in response, pulling out his battle axe and shifting the shield on his left arm as he pivoted. A tall man was leaning against one of the pillars nonchalantly. A sword hilt poking over his shoulder and blue hair coming down his forehead, an ash covered chain shirt glittered in the torch light. Merudar took all of his features in a moment but the eyes held him paralyzed. The eyes glowed green from the shadow of his face, captivating and frightening the insurgents at the same time. "You see, I killed those people, probably in the same fashion that I'll kill you." The strange man continued laughing slightly.  
  
"You must be mad!" Merudar said incredulously, one man against twenty crack troops and one sorcerer, even with the element of surprise it was ludicrous.  
  
"I'm not so much mad as I am idiosyncratic." He replied smirking as he stepped off the column and walked towards the troops, his sword still in place. "Tell you what, I won't fight the other guys, it'll just be between two leaders of men." He added, looking inquisitively at Merudar. Merudar thought about it and nodded slightly, still unsure of what to make of this man. "Splendid, I'll just set things up." He finished, gesturing to Merudar's guards.  
  
What came next surprised everyone except the green eyed man. The guards, began to claw at their skin as it splintered and bled suddenly, almost like they were roasting from the inside. Steam issued forth from the new crevices in the flesh and blood seeped out of eyes and nostrils as the collapsed to the ground, their bodies contorting into unnatural positions. Merudar's eyes widened in surprise and he turned his vision upon the expectant psychotic. The strange man's look faltered somewhat and he looked at Merudar questioningly. "What is it? Aren't you ready?" He was very solicitous and yet he had tortured those men in inconceivable ways. He masqueraded as the soul of gentility and yet he had killed so many so brutally.  
  
"Who are you?" Merudar asked, anger and fear coating his words.  
  
"I'm hurt that you don't know, I mean, you guys were the ones who killed me." He responded in a rather hurt tone. Realization dawned upon Merudar. Ryu. The man standing before him was none other than the one Sellaving had killed. But here he was alive. Did Sellaving kill him at all? But he did say he had been killed. Nothing made sense anymore and Merudar prepared himself to run but Ryu caught hold of him, his hands grasping each side of his helm firmly. "I'd say this was a lesson but you can't profit from any knowledge you gain right before death. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about." Ryu bantered, his hands tightening upon Merudar's skull.  
  
* * *  
  
Nina huddled even tighter underneath the desk even though the man hunting her had come and gone. She was still too afraid to leave her place of shelter. Everything that had happened, finding her father dead in the throne room, despite how much she had despised him she had never wanted him to die. *And now look at things. My kingdom is in shambles, people who aren't even Windians are fighting to kill me and no one's alive except me.* Nina began to cry again, hot tears slowly ran down her cheeks in a silent plea for help.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu strolled down the halls, whistling a tune he vaguely remembered hearing. Life before the fire seemed a little hazy, some things were bright and clear, like Sellaving. But others taunted him from the security of the shadows. Ryu was strolling down a long hall, his nose telling him that something was down there, something familiar. As he past by a mirror his eyes were arrested by what they saw.  
  
Ryu had expected his eyes to look like those of the ones he had killed. His eyes looked back at him with gangrel delight, the round pupils of the Windians and humans replaced by two vertical slits. Something stirred inside of him. A memory of his prior life, or perhaps it was his death. Two eyes like his own had looked down at him with love, paternal in nature and very comforting to his soul. A word sprung up in his mind and came to the forefront of his thoughts, overshadowing everything that had stood before it.  
  
"Dragon."  
  
Ryu's musing were cut short however, a strange man had appeared behind him and slammed him hard into the mirror before him, the shards of glass ripping up his face. The man behind him lifted him up again and threw him into the stone wall causing his nose to break. The third man was about to lift him up a third time Ryu slammed his forehead into the face of his unknown assailant. Ryu's vision cleared up after he blinked once or twice and his nose cracked back into place along with the shards of glass hitting the stone floor beneath him.  
  
The man before him was clothed completely in white. The radiance of the cloth caused Ryu's pupils to contract slightly despite the darkness. The man brought his fists up defensively and squared off against Ryu. Ryu brought back his right fist and threw a simple yet effecting punch. The man had tried to block but it came too quickly. Ryu's fist connected with the man's chest and carried him forward and to the wall. Flesh and bone gave way beneath the force of the blow followed by the organs beneath it. The man's eyes flew up in pain and surprise, his strong body failing him for the first time in his life.  
  
Ryu let the body fall as blood billowed up from the wound and down the sides of the man's mouth. Ryu had almost let the sudden bit of rage consume him completely but had let it end with that single punch. "No one gets a cheap shot on Ryu." Ryu said to the now dead man. Ryu turned on his foot, following the familiar scent towards the end of the hall. He had reached the door, the scent caressing his nostrils. The feelings it aroused in him both twofold. On one side he was pleased by the scent, it reminded him of something that lurked just beyond, it was a woman and a Windian at that. The other part was one of bitter hatred, a bound rage that was very close to breaking loose at the sight of the girl. It was with a confused heart that Ryu opened the door, except it was barred. *No matter." Ryu thought, lifting his foot and kicking it in, a metallic snap greeting him.  
  
* * *  
  
Nina jumped at the sound of the door crashing open. Much to her dismay she jumped too much and her head hit the top of the desk eliciting a yelp of pain from her. She peered around the corner of the desk and saw what she had been sorely anticipating this entire time. It was Ryu. He stood there with the semi-light creating an aura around him. She almost cried for joy as she crawled out from underneath the desk and ran to him. But before she could reach him, something inside of her stopped her cold in her tracks.  
  
Nina was confused, she wanted to run to him, to thank him for saving her from this trapped room but something inside of her held her back. Ryu seemed to be struggling with something inside of him as well, his eyes glowed brighter in darkness. *Glowed? Ryu's eyes never glowed.* Nina thought, knowing for sure that something was wrong here. Ryu's right hand went for something in the shadow of his arm and when it re-emerged it was holding something, something that glinted off the muted light coming from the hall.  
  
It was a dagger, she saw it clearly now, here eyes widening in horror. "Ryu, what are you doing?" Nina asked bringing her hands up to defend herself. Ryu remained silent and just looked at her with those eyes of his. No, they weren't his eyes but something she dreaded more. They were vertical slits... Like a dragon's. Her horror grew in intensity and she dropped her defenses just in time for the dagger to come snaking in.  
  
Nina felt a sharp pain enter her, sliding up into her heart and piercing the organ. She shut her eyes in pain and disbelief. *Ryu...* Her body was no longer supported by the dagger and she slumped to the ground, her eyes opening for the last time. She could see the dagger coated with blood, a small droplet forming on the tip and then falling to the ground. Ending its flight back in the wound from which it had come.  
  
* * *  
  
There we go. I'm going to hell for this, or at least everyone's going to hate me for what I've done. But you got to admit that it was unexpected and, I think, unprecedented. This certainly goes along with my previous pattern of Ryu's evil, he keeps getting worse in worse from just killing a ranger to then killing the whole group and now culminating with Nina. Does it ever end? By the way, I was listening to some Duran Duran and Yellow Card while writing this so I think it's safe to say that those are bands which breed murderous intent, write your congressman today. If you have one.  
  
Also, I know this may go over wrong with several of you but I want you all to keep on reading this story despite this chapter or perhaps because of it.  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that the nodes of ranviar, apart from being a hard-core underground band are also a part of your brain meant to speed up messages sent from the brain along the nervous system. 


	10. Cursed Lineage

Well, I've had three reviews after a week of waiting, I'll suppose that I must start typing again and finish this up. I honestly expected to get a lot of reviews and angry e-mails about what I did. Instead I got mostly silence and that really pissed me off. The least you people could've done was give me a flame or something, but no, silence. Those who did review said that it was a little disturbing and I agree and that was the point. Those who are not Fou Lu/ Ladon, ignore the below paragraph. Granted, you're more likely to read it now than if I had told you not to read it.  
  
Fou Lu/Ladon, I'm curious, are you two people or one person who has an extra personality? If the former, I'm glad people have friends; if the latter, well that's rather pathetic and cheap to me. Your putting two reviews in the space allotted for one. What a bastard? You talked about non-existent errors and you claimed I didn't have enough drama. You also accuse me of being monotonous in my style. To the claim about a lack of drama, you clearly are obtuse. My entire story is dramatic it simply lacks the kinds of drama evident in other stories. My drama is in action and deceit. My contemporaries utilize drama of romance and crisis and dialogue. That's not my style, nor do I want it to be my style. Most stories on this site have drama like the kind of drama you want, I do not think that such drama is bad, but I disdain the idea of it being placed within my story. As to the fights being filled with monotony, I ignore that remark completely. Not only is it unfounded, but it's rather hypocritical. From my knowledge of the stories written for this category; at the risk of sounding arrogant, I have yet to stumble upon a story that has a style like my own. The final comment you leveled upon my person is that I have been advertising my story on review boards. I scoff at the very idea, clearly professional courtesy is lost upon you. I merely say that I would be much obliged if the author were to review my story after I have reviewed theirs. Now, if you had actually given me an e-mail address, I could have saved these other reviewers this rant. Shame on you.  
  
Chapter Nine: Cursed Lineage  
  
Ryu looked down upon the scarred valley below him. Two armies were struggling against each other over the siege of Werzingrad. The Windian Army had arrived upon the seen the morning after Ryu's... Rebirth, which was the only word for it in Ryu's opinion. Ryu continued to gaze down at the field of battle, for the moment they were evenly matched but the Windians were quickly, in terms of battles, being pushed back by the forces of the Rebellion. Well, that was probably a bad name for it considering almost none of the army down there was a Windian.  
  
Ryu had picked up some information from a patrol of the so called Rebellion and squeezed some information out of it. Apparently this army was composed of the slime of the earth. The worst of all the races was represented in the forces laying siege to Werzingrad. Windians were the smallest but so far most effective race in the army seeing as they dismantled the greatest opposition from the inside. *Of course, most of them are now dead as well.* Ryu smiled wolfishly at that memory. Humans entered the equation as did Worens and Plainsmen. The big three were fighting against the weak one and the silent four, the Dragons, were blissfully uninvolved as the world outside them were killing themselves as the Dragons had predicted. *I guess now that I'm one of them I ought to join ranks.* Ryu thought glumly. The new being inside him smiled at that thought and began to nudge him in that direction again.  
  
"Shut up!" Ryu yelled aloud at that voice, it had been plaguing him ever since he "woke up" from his ordeal. He couldn't really describe it as sleep since he knew full well what he was doing and decided the courses of action. But at the same time it wasn't him in the least, he was violent and random and ruthless but not like that. *Dammit, this whole ordeal is shaking the foundations of how I thought about myself. Well, not really but it certainly doesn't make sense. I would never, ever kill a woman like Nina especially when I was that close. It's that damn voice.* Ryu thought angrily as he relived his murder of Nina. The voice was the thing that told him to stab her, she had been looking up at him with such joy and hope that he was amazed he had it in him. The voice had screamed at him to kill her and the pain it had inflicted upon his mind rivaled the pain of the fire.  
  
Then again, now that the voice was all but non-verbal inside his mind he regretted his fall from that new height. His death had brought out something that had always been lurking in the shadows for him, now that he had finally felt the power he craved it more. The world was comparably dead to what he had felt when his lineage possessed him. Ryu kicked a stone directly in front of him and sent it tumbling along before coming to a rest. Ryu threw one last look over his shoulder before continuing on his journey. He wondered slightly why he hadn't turned into one of the dragons like the legends said he would. He had remained himself but was well, felt like he was invincible but then again he always felt that way. But this time it was different, he was no longer just better, he was a master of all the he surveyed, he was capable of crushing any who stood before him with the flick of his wrist.  
  
Ryu hadn't actually fought anyone skilled but he was sure that with the power flowing through his veins he could have killed Ryudo within a few sword strokes. He could have fought anyone and pushed aside their petty attacks like nothing. All of those thoughts inside him seemed to feed the voice inside, it began to talk again. Very quietly but at the same time, it appealed to Ryu's anger and feelings of glory. Ryu was tempted to give into it again, to feel the sweet caress of the Dragon, but he forced such thoughts away, not really seeing a need for it now that he was by himself and walking towards the Eastern Sea and eventually the Dragon Isles. That last thought sobered him up immensely. He was strong in the land of the Followers but the Dragons were strong to survive the harsh land and made even stronger by the gift of Ladon, a gift he possessed but seemingly could not use. The voice started to chuckle at those last thoughts but refused to elaborate for Ryu, leaving him just as lost as he had when he began to contemplate the situation.  
  
Ryu sighed exasperatedly as he reached the apex of the slope of land, he looked at the radiant land before him spreading out endlessly, obscuring his final destination. At least Dorenog was below, providing transport for him to at the very minimum Gerristak which brought him even closer towards the Dragon Isles, though if memory served it would take more that just a ship to get him to the islands since they were protected against any Follower vessel. *Maybe the voice'll help me out when I get there.* Ryu thought hopefully.  
  
* * *  
  
Darkness surrounded them all, the only light was from a pair of glowing green eyes that swallowed up any other light. The figure who possessed the eyes leered down at Nina, a black knife clutched in its hands. The darkness grew all that more alien as the blade loomed larger in the night. Time froze for the winged girl as the knife propelled itself into the waiting heart of the Windian. The figure stood over the still form of the dead Windian. Eyes still alive with sight they registered the face of her killer.  
  
Ryu's face broke into a smile as he stooped in front of her. "Don't worry Nina, it's my job to protect you."  
  
* * *  
  
Nina woke up screaming, her eyes wide in the darkness, terrified at the vision playing inside her dreams. Her scream ended and she panted for breath, her hand at her heart feeling it beat unnaturally fast. Nina's reverie was interrupted by the first rays of sunlight glaring in her eye and the door bursting open and a Royal Knight bursting in, sword drawn. "What is it your highness?" He asked hurriedly, his eyes scanning around for signs of danger.  
  
Feeling rather embarrassed about her reaction to a dream, albeit a disturbingly realistic replay of events that had occurred, but a dream nonetheless. "It's not important. How long have I been unconscious?" Nina asked, trying to salvage some of her poise.  
  
"Three days now your Highness, we thought you might not wake up." The knight said, concern coating his voice. Nina's eyes went wide with surprise, almost as wide as they had when she woke up from her dream.  
  
"Three days! What's been going on?" Nina asked incredulously, quickly rising to her feet and confronting the knight.  
  
"Your Highness, you should get dressed and then we will discuss the matter further." He seemingly ordered before closing the door and leaving Nina to herself. Nina frowned at the close door, angry at the dismissive nature of the guard. Throwing her hands up into the air and muttering darkly to herself, Nina went to the armoire and opened it to find that her traditional choice of clothing had been removed or lost, whether by the dictates of her father or by the maids. Whoever it was who removed it replaced it with some of the tackiest, most decadent dresses she had ever seen.  
  
All were ivy or cream colored, with lots of pearls and fancy embroidering. "Great, just plain great, my kingdom is burning and they give me this to wear." Nina commented disgustedly as she pulled out one of the dresses. After five minutes of contorting herself into the dress, Nina stepped out into the hallway and was immediately flanked by the General of the Royal Knights and his second in command.  
  
"Good morning your Highness. I suppose you would like to be briefed about the current situation?" The General asked politely and continued again once he got the nod from Nina. "You had apparently sustained serious injuries that rendered you unconscious, I was in the courtyard commanding the counterattack when you were carried out of the castle by Ryu. You were breathing fine but he looked to be somewhat askance. He simply handed you over to me and began to walk out of the courtyard. When I first saw him the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and most of my men felt the same, his eyes were different too. If I could be so bold as to offer up a hypothesis..." He started and continued again once he got the nod, "Ryu must be a Dragon which explains both the brutal murders and the eyes." The General finished his report and looked at Nina, awaiting her response.  
  
Nina mulled this information over and tried to think about what it was supposed to mean. Ryu was a Dragon, that would certainly explain some things, but it did not explain his attack on her. She wanted to believe that he had gone crazy, or been possessed but the look he had in his eyes told her that he was fully in control of his actions. "Are you sure he didn't say anything to you before he left?" Nina asked looking shrewdly from one to the other.  
  
The General remained silent and thought it over but his second in command apparently had an answer. "He only left a name, I guess he knew you'd recognize it, Ryudo." He replied as he scratched his chin. Nina halted immediately and looked at the two of them. It all made sense now. Ryu hadn't killed her, Ryudo had. They were twins so that explained how he had looked like Ryu except different. "Anything else your Highness?" He solicited.  
  
"Yes, why do you keep calling me 'you Highness'? You usually call me Princess Nina." Nina queried looking from one to the other. They both appeared to be at a loss for words. All three looked at each other during the awkward silence until the General finally broke it.  
  
"Your father is dead, making you the new ruler of Windia." He answered delicately.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryu sighed and leaned back against the jutting rock behind him. A pure white fire burned merrily before him and a haunch of some type of beast was roasting on it, slowly crisping above the blaze. The area surrounding him was desolate and almost completely lifeless, except of course for the occasional creature lumbering out of nightmares and into Ryu's path. The large beast, it was easily the size of the carriage he had used to take Nina to Werzingrad in, was crumpled on the ground beside him was covered in thick grey scales with horns protruding sporadically along its body.  
  
Thinking about Nina stirred some rumblings of doubt inside of him. He figured she was awake or dead by now, and if she was awake then she may or may not believe that Ryudo was the one who had killed her. *Thank the Gods for twins.* Ryu thought as he grabbed the haunch of whatever meat and tore a big chunk out of it with his teeth. "Not bad." He muttered appreciatively at the taste. Ryu surveyed his surroundings again and found nothing but black, leafless, gnarled trees jutting out periodically amidst a grey backdrop spreading out over barren hills for miles in every direction.  
  
Ryu felt something stirring within his body again, he lifted his hand involuntarily and focused a bit of magic energy. *The voice is acting up again.* Ryu thought exasperatedly. A figure began to solidify before his eyes and in a moment he was staring at his exact duplicate. If this had been the first time it had happened Ryu might have been surprised but the voice had a nasty habit of controlling Ryu when it deemed necessary. "Hello again." Ryu greeted his awkward half resignedly, tearing off another hunk off the strange meat. "Going to offer me an explanation of what the hell is going on?" Ryu asked bitterly.  
  
"Maybe." The voice, or rather his double, replied shrugging his shoulders non-committaly. Ryu's duplicate did very little to actually help or enlighten Ryu. The only thing the voice ever did for him was take control of his body and direct him towards some unforeseen direction.  
  
"Can you at least tell me where I am?" Ryu asked finishing up the haunch. He tossed the bone over his shoulder and settled in, closer to the fire.  
  
"I suppose it can't harm anything. Right now we're in the Dragon Wastes. Hidden behind that perpetual haze of gray is the Dragon Tower and this spot we're taking our ease upon was the sight of the final battle between the Followers and the Dragons. In fact that specimen you're feasting upon, the Grimlock, is a construct composed of the dead at this battle site." The Duplicate explained, chortling at the situation. Ryu shrugged at that revelation and licked his fingers clean of the juices left on them.  
  
"It's not bad for two-thousand year old corpses." Ryu replied leaning back in satisfaction, stretching before the flames. "So where to next Voice?" Ryu inquired, putting his hands behind his head.  
  
"We're off to see the ferryman. He'll take us to the Dragon Isles." The Voice answered, beginning to dissipate into the night air.  
  
"What a bastard." Ryu muttered as he closed his eyes and prepared for sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Nina's world was spinning when she reentered it, her head aching and her body weak. She could vaguely make out the ceiling amidst the spinning fixtures along the wall and the two figures standing over her. Closing her eyes again and groaning in nausea she waited slowly for her sickness to subside. When she at last opened her eyes again she found the world was still again and the General and his second were standing over her, concern apparent in their eyes.  
  
"It's good to have you back your highness." The General said, solicitously helping Nina to her feet. Nina inclined her head in thanks and straightened herself trying for the second time this morning to regain at least a modicum of dignity.  
  
"So, my father is... Dead." Nina said, her voice faltering upon that word and all the emotions it conveyed. She had never been close to her parents, in fact for the longest time she had felt that there was no love between herself and her mother and father. But to know that they were now both dead, it shook her to her very core. She had always believed that her father would be around for her to hate in perpetuity but now it cheapened his memory to hate him so. *Damn you father.* Nina thought bitterly and immediately regretted it. Nina took a deep breath and tried as hard as she could to change the subject from her father's death. "What's going on in the city?" She asked, continuing their walk down the hall.  
  
"The city is back in our hands, without the four leaders, the revolutionaries were almost helpless. Now outside of our city is another matter, it is currently under siege and our forces are being decimated as we speak." The General summed up the situation without missing a beat. He reminded Nina of Ryu somewhat with his inability to let death stagger him, Nina shuddered at the thought of that level of emotionless but continued on never the less.  
  
"What do you think is going to happen next?" Nina asked keeping her eyes focused straight ahead, not wanting to even think about what was going on almost directly below her.  
  
"Well, our forces will probably be killed to a man leaving the city defenseless. Fortunately they can't get up here, at least not for another year or so." He replied, his choice of wording seeming out of place given what the "fortunately" was.  
  
"Any suggestions?" Nina asked, starting to let despair sink into her body.  
  
"Our allies be called but I doubt there's going to be any real response. The Woren don't have the numbers and the humans don't see the need to help us. They're too fractured anyway. The only clan left is the Dragon and they'd be more likely to kill us and our enemies." The General answered glumly, obviously angry at their allies' lack of support.  
  
Nina sighed in despair and continued her walk towards the throne room, her advisors flanking her. *What am I going to do? These people need leadership but right now I'm not sure where I can lead them to.* Nina thought, self doubt coloring her thoughts as she moved with purposeful steps. At last she entered the throne room and found it still in a state of disrepair.  
  
Blood was spilled all about the flagstones and the tapestries. No servants could be seen cleaning the place, they had probably been killed or fled. The throne itself was ruined and stared at her mockingly, blood splattered across the gold arms and purple upholstery. Two holes had been punctured through and Nina quivered to think what force had done that.  
  
Nina sighed again and took an undamaged seat from beside the wall and moved it to the center of the hall; right in front of the raised dais holding the throne, her back to it. "What should we do now your Highness?" The General queried, a glimmer of what could be mistaken for hope in his eyes.  
  
"Send messengers to our allies." Nina answered, putting her elbow on the arm chair and cupping her chin in her palm. The General nodded and started to turn on his heel before Nina continued her order. "Send a messenger to the Dragons at Stungreng as well." Nina added, doubt reeking on her words.  
  
* * *  
  
OK, here it is. I hope lots of people review this story and those who wish to review under the anonymous moniker, please put your e-mail in cause otherwise I'd have to do what I did at the beginning of this chapter. As to why Nina has no mother, I just never felt like making one up. She was a test tube baby, literally. I think that my chapter might hit cliché once I get closer to the end but at this point, I don't much care. I also admit that Nina seemed a bit too trusting of Ryu about the Ryudo thing, especially after he told her that Ryudo was dead. Again, I kind of don't care about that.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that it was John Dickinson, a man who opposed American independence from Britain, who crafted America's first government: The Articles of Confederation creating the Confederation of States of America. Not the Confederated States of America, that was in the Civil War. Mildly interesting. 


	11. Stranger in a Strange Land

This chapter was a long time in the making. Basically because I hit kind of a slump in terms of getting Ryu to the Island, I just couldn't find a way to do it to my liking, that and I just sort of lost interest for a while. One of you commented on the voice in Ryu's head was like that of Odjn. I suppose that's true but I was actually thinking more along the lines of Lews Therin's voice in Rand's head in the Wheel of Time Books. Also, you might notice that I frequently changed whether or not Dragon was capitalized. Dragon is a member of the clan, dragon is the creature.  
  
Chapter Ten: Stranger in a Strange Land  
  
Ryu stood before the Great Northern Sea as it splashed against the rock cliffs he now perched upon. The gray wall of clouds he had grown used to for the past couple of days ended almost directly above the cliffs and a bright blue sky greeted Ryu's eyes as he looked upon the rollicking waves. "Just as I had gotten used to that never ending panorama of gray." Ryu commented as he stared out into the expanse of ocean and sky. "Hey, Voice. Where exactly is this ferryman I'm supposed to meet?" Ryu asked of the autonomous voice residing inside his body. Ever since the Voice had taken form after he had killed that corpse composite everything had been really quiet. The wastelands themselves really had no sound except the occasional wail of one of the Grimlocks.  
  
"He should be arriving any minute now." The Voice answered from just outside of his right ear. Ryu scowled at the very existence of that incorporeal voice just floating around inside his body. Ryu shrugged off his irritation and scanned the horizon for signs of a boat or whatever it was this ferryman was piloting. "You'll have to look a bit higher if you want to see him." The Voice advised just outside of his left ear this time. Ryu looked up in surprise and was knocked off his feet by the battering winds and the beast that owned them.  
  
Just as Ryu hit the ground he was pinned their by a pendactyl claw, steel colored claws pierced through the rock beneath him and the silver scales crushed his body against the ground. Never before had Ryu encountered anything that dwarfed him so much, something so powerful that it could have done that without any notice and without any time for a reaction. Ryu's breath had been knocked out of him and now with the dragon's claw crushing his body he couldn't draw another breath. Ryu's eyes searched around in vain for something to help him but all he could see was the dragon bringing its head around to view him better. The giant slitted eyes peered down at him, the black slits looking more menacing against a pure white background.  
  
Ryu squirmed uncomfortably underneath the weight and tried to push the claw off of him with the strength his death had brought him. No dice. Whatever power he had received from his death it was infinitesimal when compared to the strength the dragon was exerting right now. "Quit squirming little man." The dragon said, its voice rumbling from within his chest. "I just needed to see your eyes." It added, letting Ryu out of the scaly prison and stepped back onto the ledge.  
  
Ryu scrambled to his feet and glared up at the dragon, hatred flaring up within him. Nothing makes a fool out of Ryu! Nothing! He thought as he dusted himself off. The dragon peered down at him imperiously before shaking its head slightly, seemingly casting something. Ryu was momentarily blinded by a bright flash of light that erupted from the dragon and by the time Ryu regained his eyesight a tall man with strange robes and long blue hair brought back into a ponytail. The eyes had remained the same however, proportional though.  
  
Ryu immediately sized up the Dragon and considered paying him back for the wound that had been dealt to his pride. "That wouldn't be the wisest course of action." The Voice advised him from within the confines of his skull. Ryu's scowl deepened as he measured up the man standing before him.  
  
"My apologies for the violent encounter, I simply wanted to be sure that you were indeed a Dragon. Very few Dragons actually come to this point and most that do are younger than you." The Ferryman, for that is what Ryu assumed, stated. Ryu eased up a little but still nurtured that little ball of chaos residing in his heart, readying himself to lash out at this Dragon.  
  
"Really?" Ryu queried, his eyebrows sneaking up his forehead as his curiosity was piqued. His muscles began to relax and he took a more sedentary position watching the Ferryman as well as paying attention for any information that might be heading his way.  
  
"Have you yet to experience the transformation?" The Ferryman asked looking intently at Ryu, sizing him up just as Ryu had done to him.  
  
"I've transformed, but I've not yet "embraced" the dragon part of my lineage." Ryu explained, picking his words carefully so as not to reveal too much. He didn't know enough about Dragons to want to go and explain all of his circumstance in just a chance meeting. Not to mention that this Ferryman seemed a little too untrustworthy.  
  
"Interesting, when you say transformed, what exactly do you mean?" The Ferryman went further, pressing the matter. "What circumstances caused this 'transformation'?" The Socratic Method was employed to full effect, much to the confusion and irritation of Ryu.  
  
Ryu wanted to remain neutral in his responses but he could not fully comprehend what this man wanted from him and what the correct answer would be. Well, hopefully anything I say now won't be too damning. "I was burned alive, seemed like I died and then came back different. I was certainly more violent and stronger it seemed. But I did not turn into a dragon, at least not in the traditional sense." Ryu said, his eyes focused upon the Ferryman, trying to gauge the effect of his words.  
  
"I see. That's quite perplexing. Well, regardless of whether or not you became a full dragon you did indeed transform. Just not in any usual manner. Perhaps the scholars back at Sirracat can tell you more. Hurry now, I'll ferry you across the sea." The Ferryman explained before being surrounded in another flash of light. The dragon form stood before him now and beckoned for him to climb onto his back.  
  
Ryu grabbed onto one of the horns on the shoulder of the dragon and began to hoist himself up, thinking dark thoughts as he did it. He was very distasteful of the idea of trusting something that had humiliated him so singularly. The last person to actually have done that was when he was a green mercenary and that man had been dealt with when Ryu met him a second time. He wasn't sure if the second time he met with the Ferrymen would be the last, Ryu was no longer a God among ants but an ant among Gods in this land of Dragons.  
  
"Not quite the experience you expected eh Ryu?" The Voice chortled inside his head, amused with Ryu's current thoughts. Ryu's thoughts however were jarred along with his body as the Ferryman took to the sky, the two powerful wings beating up and down bringing them further and further away from the wastelands and closer towards the homeland of his Race, towards the apparent end of his adventures.  
  
The sun looked balefully at Ryu and the dragon, its red magnificence staring at them with un-winking anger as they soared over the ocean and towards the Dragon Isles. Night entered and the moon began to rise in prominence. The Ferryman flew onward, disregarding the night and the sudden chill descending over them. Ryu tried to ignore the chill as well but it seemed much more biting than the cold he faced in the Wastelands. Ryu sighed in resignation and tried to ignore the cold wind hurling itself into his face and waited for the flight to be over.  
  
"We should reach the Isles by dawn, and then you'll meet your brethren." The Voice whispered to Ryu, it's voice stronger now than ever before. Ryu scowled forward, focusing upon a point on the dragon's neck. If his "brothers" were as friendly in greeting as the Ferryman then Ryu was going to have a problem maintaining his composure.  
  
The night passed on, Ryu and the Ferryman were both silent as they traveled while the Voice sniped at Ryu with a few comments about the Dragon Isles. It wouldn't actually tell him anything useful about the place but it did manage to rile him up a little as the comments became increasingly louder in his ears. At last dawn broke and the rising sun began to illuminate the islands below them. They formed a rather large archipelago that from this angle could be mistaken for a dragon spreading its wings. It was eerily fitting but considering the considerable power that both Ladon and the Dragon Clan wielded, it wasn't out of place.  
  
The Ferryman tilted his wings and began an arced decent towards the islands. The wind whipped even harder at Ryu and his grip tightened on the ridges he had been holding since he first got on the creature. The ridges were serrated which in turn meant blood welling up on Ryu's hands which led to a looser grip and then a tighter hold on the ridges which cut him in the first place. I've got half a mind to just dive off and swim to shore. Ryu thought acidly.  
  
"I wouldn't advise that, we're still quite a distance from the sea and the islands. I guess you'll just have to suffer." The Voice admonished with false solicitude.  
  
"I hate you so much right now." Ryu said with clenched teeth and sore hands. The Ferryman drew closer by the second to the main island, or the "torso" of the dragon with each breath, his wings brought close in on the sides to increase his speed. The ground began to rush up to meet them and Ryu felt a small piece of concern grow inside him. The Ferryman was moving fast enough at this point to splatter the both of them from one side of the field beneath them to the other. This really sucks. Ryu thought as the ground seemed to be smiling at him, waiting for him to crash.  
  
The Ferryman's wings snapped outward, almost completely halting their descent just before hitting the ground. Ryu, who had been leaning back from the force of the winds, was thrown forward into the iron hard scales on the Ferryman's back. The ridges cut deeply into his face, breaking bone with the force. Ryu's world went black and he felt himself hit the ground with a thud, his senses reeling from the blow. Ryu opened his eyes gingerly and was greeted with azure skies and wispy cirrus clouds. Ryu could feel blood trickling down his face but made no move to halt its flow. The Ferryman stepped into view, concern painting his features. Ryu could feel a slight tingling sensation of his forehead and the bleeding stopped. The Ferryman's eyes flashed first to the now closed wound and then back to Ryu's eyes.  
  
Ryu got to his feet, shaking his head and sending droplets of blood flying off. "That's interesting, you healed that wound faster than I would have thought." The Ferryman commented, looking speculatively at the still pink skin on Ryu's forehead. Ryu's eyes hardened and his teeth clenched as anger welled up inside of him.  
  
Ryu pulled his fist back and let it fly into the face of the Ferryman. The Dragon was knocked backwards and slid slightly on the ground. A large bruise was even now beginning to form underneath his eye as it swelled up. "That's interesting, you took less effort on my part to knock out." Ryu commented dusting his hands off. He kneeled down besides the unconscious figure and began to wipe the blood off his face. "I should probably avoid doing that from now on." Ryu said to the unconscious Dragon before standing up and surveying the area around him. He was in a field that was more of a hill that jutted outwards into a cliff that overlooked the ocean. To his left the hill tapered down and reached a nicely cobbled road. Where it led was anyone's guess but it probably led to at least two places, that being inherit in roads and lines in general.  
  
Ryu walked haltingly down the hill until he reached the road and scanned either direction for an immediate destination. To his right was a straightaway with the occasional tree sprouting up on the side, to the left it twisted around another hill and presumably led to a village by the sea or just the sea in general. "I'd suggest going to the right." The Voice advised, appearing in it's physical form behind Ryu. It had a smug expression on Ryu's face as it stood before him. Ryu swore under his breath and started walking down the cobbled road, remembering full well the results of listening to The Voice.  
  
The countryside surrounding the road could best be described as farmland, vast stretches of wheat greeted Ryu with the occasional orchard of some type or the other standing out amongst the golden waves. It was probably an hour before he actually saw signs of buildings and the like. Coming up on his left was a rather stately manor with four ionic columns supporting the jutting terracotta roof. Ryu stopped for a moment to look at the building, now that he was right in front of it he better began to understand its purpose. It was lower to the ground, probably a single story though higher than fifteen feet. Large windows were placed in between the columns on the left and right with a door placed in the center of the wall. Above the door a standard hung with an outline of a gold dragon head looking straight forward on a red backdrop. At the bottom of the standard a strange symbol was scrawled beneath a sword. Must be a military headquarters of some kind. Ryu thought considering what swords typically meant in the world of standards.  
  
As he was standing there taking in the details of the building a young man with blue hair, presumably another Dragon, opened the doors and looked out at him. "You there, what are you standing about for? If you're interested in enlisting then come in already!" He shouted before closing the door again afterwards.  
  
"That was rather odd." Ryu mumbled, slowly moving towards the building. It was at this point that Ryu lamented his decision to strike the Ferryman. He probably would have proved useful at this point. Oh well. Ryu thought picking up his pace as he strode more confidently towards the door.  
  
Once he opened the doors, they were of a heavier make than those on the mainland presumably because the Dragons were stronger or perhaps because it was the type of wood. Regardless of what the door told about this building, the main hall said much more. All along the wall more standards like the one above the roof were hung with the only difference between them another symbol at the top right corner. Ten standards in all hung from the wall and underneath resided tower shields with the same design as the standards except without the symbols at the bottom or right corner. Right in front of the main door a hallway divided the left and right wings of the building and led further into the recesses of the complex before ending in another set of double doors. Two guards flanked the hall and stood stock still, gazing at him with unblinking eyes varying shades of green.  
  
They were armed in what to Ryu seemed modern variants of an archaic design. The helms gleamed in the morning sun with steel flaps that protruded down to the jaw line and a nose guard that flared out after curving in; Ryu remembered having seen one in Murnab's office at the time Murnab had called it a Praetorian Italic, dating from over two thousand years ago. The breastplate they wore was of a fairly utilitarian design but it soon changed to a series of curved steel plates attached to a leather cuirass underneath. The armor tapered off in a leather kilt with steel plates sown into it in a similar fashion to that of the abdomen armor. The forearms and shins were covered by steel bracers and greaves. Each carried a tower shield on their left arm, a pylum held upright in their right and on their left hip a sheathed sword of an unable type. Ryu felt a little out of place in this present company but walked forward between the two guards his eyes shooting quizzical glances at either.  
  
At last he reached the end of the hall and pushed both doors open to see a truly odd sight. The area before him was a great training field that spanned what must have been a mile. Immediately before him was the same man who had originally invited him in who stood next to a tall figure resplendent in the same armor the guards had up front except with a gold embossing of the armor. The leader of this group of soldiers, as Ryu assumed he was, was surveying a group of soldiers in the similarly armed to the guards marching around in what appeared to be a phalanx. Ryu was a bit surprised by this turn of events, but considering the other antiquated aspects of what he had seen, it fit. The commander signaled something and a trumpeter blew three staccato notes and the phalanx shifted the tower shields until is formed a box like defense, with shields covering all the sides and the top. It was a textbook maneuver from long before the advent on siege weaponry.  
  
The man who had invited him caught sight of Ryu again and nudged the Commander. The Dragon stiffened slightly and turned around to look at Ryu. They both stood stock still for a moment as each sized the other up. Finally the Commander broke the silence, "You look new." He said bluntly as he moved closer up to Ryu, looking up intensely into his eyes.  
  
"I just arrived from the mainland, the Ferryman flew me across." Ryu elaborated to the man, his voice emotionless. The Commander swayed back on his feet slightly taken aback by that knowledge.  
  
"You look a bit old for one brought over by the Ferryman." The Commander said, displaying the same level of surprise as the Ferryman had a day ago. He looked like he was going to add more but Ryu quickly cut him off.  
  
"I already went through this, just tell me where I'm supposed to go as a new arrival." Ryu said, almost demanded of the man who apparently held a rather high rank. The Commander looked ready to tear Ryu a new one but thought better of it and gestured to the road with his head.  
  
"Just keep going down the road in the same direction and you'll arrive at Sirracat." He said brusquely before turning back to the troops and watched as they trained some more. Ryu brought his arms back stretching them as he walked away, the sounds of instruction and trumpet horns echoing among the sloping landscape. Ryu got back to the main road and continued walking along, noticing how the landscape began to level out and more buildings like the one which housed the one legion he had stopped at. Ryu had figured that out while he was walking and thinking about the standards. It made sense once you put the facts together, the group marching in a phalanx was composed of roughly five hundred soldiers, and with the ten different standards to represent the ten cohorts which in turn made up the one legion. Parts of it were Ryu jumping to conclusions but it still wasn't a bad hypothesis.  
  
That makes ten right there. Ryu noticed as he counted the tenth building bearing the military standard. That made for at least fifty thousand troops just on this island alone. That's enough to make some of the Kingdoms take a step back. Ryu thought appreciatively. If any of the mainlanders knew about the forces active on these islands they might rethink their neutrality.  
  
After what was about another hour Ryu finally reached the sign of a non-martial institution. It wasn't anything to lose your head over but it was reassuring to know that this entire island wasn't devoted to the military. The building was tall and made out of stone but instead of military standards it had a large banner that was scrawled with more symbols that apparently passed for writing among the Dragons. The banner wasn't much help but the fact that about a dozen wagons had pulled up filled with grain and other assorted crops tipped Ryu off to the nature of the building. A granary, how quaint. He thought, marveling at the warp back in time. Ryu continued walking noting how a number of blue haired individuals were milling about the place speaking in an altered form of common.  
  
The granary was a sure sign that a city or at least a town was close by and sure enough, the rolling hills covered in fields of grain and grass became a series of rolling hills covered in various stone buildings, each with columns and terracotta roofs. The buildings were a beautiful sight and the technique to craft them was untouched in the two thousand years since the Dragons had left the world of the Followers. Many more Dragons flooded the streets in the early morning, many shooting curious glances in Ryu's direction. Most wore robes of varying colors ranging from simple white to a variety of purples.  
  
Well, I'm at a city, presumably it's Sirracat, now what? Ryu thought looking around at the Dragons starting to gather around him. Ryu wasn't sure what he should do or say, the Dragons were so antiquated in nature that a simple 'Hello' might offend them. Granted, I'm new here so they might not tear out my eyes for being informal. He thought, hoping he was right, he had no desire to confront a large group of people that could transform into dragons. "Good morning, I was wondering if any of you could tell me where I should go having just recently arrived." Ryu explained looking inquiringly at the group around him. For a moment no one said anything until a group of legionnaires could be heard jogging towards them. Their steel armor reflected light right into Ryu's eyes causing him to wince slightly.  
  
The crowd around him quickly moved away, going about their business as if Ryu hadn't arrived. Ryu grunted with a hint of anger at this current turn of events. With the arrival or the perfectly aligned troops Ryu noticed a standard that was not a military one hovering above the heads of the soldiers as they stood at stock still readiness. "Next time I'll refrain from commenting on the status of the morning." Ryu said dryly as he examined the guards arrayed before him. From behind the guards he could discern a slight chuckle and then was greeted with the sight of another Dragon, this one in bright green robes with a clasp that matched the symbol on the standard, one of a feather or what could be a feather pen.  
  
"You'll have to forgive the brusqueness of this reception, I had received word from Commander Turgon about the arrival of a Dragon." The robed individual said in a deep, raspy sort of voice. "I am Senator Gerczek, these troops and I will escort you to the acropolis for your reception." He said in a rather amiable fashion. Ryu eyed him askance but decided that following was probably a better option than some of the others.  
  
"Lead on." Ryu said gesturing for Gerczek to take the lead. Gerczek smiled and whistled signaling the guards to form two lines next to himself and Ryu, essentially creating a box. I hope I don't regret this.  
  
That ends this chapter, the longest one I've had without fighting. Perhaps it'll explain things but I doubt it, this was somewhat of filler before we get to more action and explanation. I pictured the Dragons as Romanesque in general. It made sense at the time and when you think about it, when a bunch of stories on this sight have Dragons wielding katanas I figured mine should have them wielding pylum (spears) and gladius (short swords), maybe I'm wrong though. If you do review, I would deeply appreciate an e-mail address so I may address anything you may bring up that needs addressing.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: The term "Out of left field" originates from a point in baseball history in which all left fields were larger than the right, thus making for more lost balls. 


	12. Inheritance

OK, after however long it's been I'm going to start the next chapter. My reason for delaying has been that mainly this story has become a bit of a bore to me. I didn't like the way the story was moving towards the end so I didn't want to write it. I finally realized I could do whatever I want to this story and could make my ending not a real ending. I mean, I had already made Ryu a bastard and had killed Nina, however briefly, why not make an ending that didn't end. Another reason I've become leery of writing was because I picked up on the fact that not too many people were reading this story anymore. It became mildly redundant and Ryu got a little out of hand with his sociopathic nature. So this will be the last chapter in this story, hopefully.  
  
Chapter Eleven: Inheritance  
  
Ryu's mood had worsened since his encounter with the Senator and his guards, the only times he had ever met with politicians under this many guards was when he was going to be sent to the gallows or prison. Unfortunately this time he wasn't in the middle of a larger war with troops to assist him or among a collection of rag-tag soldiers that barely knew one side of the sword from the other. This time he had to deal with well trained soldiers and Dragons to boot. Why did I listen to that voice inside my head? Ryu thought glowering at the gleaming armor of the Legionnaire in front of him.  
  
Gerczek walked beside him in silence, his blue hair tinged with gray the only sign of his age. He made no motion to speak to Ryu and Ryu certainly wasn't going to strike up a conversation with his captor, so onward the procession marched, a silent bubble in an otherwise lively city. Every time the guard passed by a merchant or passerby the Dragons would fall silent and watch with an air of interest, or perhaps fear. Maybe they had heard something of Ryu this far away from the mainland, but Ryu immediately dismissed that notion. Mainlanders hadn't seen a Dragon since after the Dragon Wars two thousand years ago and most wanted to keep it that way. They probably just don't like the idea of people tainted by the Followers. Ryu supposed he could call them that now that he was a Dragon Clansmen.  
  
"The acropolis should be coming into view in a few moments." Gerczek said in that insufferably amiable tone. It was almost like the Legionnaires and the silence did not exist for him and that the two were walking along in some park in companionable silence. Ryu would have liked to see how amiable this senator would be if Ryu had wanted to skip the reception process.  
  
Ryu was tempted to make a derisive remark but the appearance of the acropolis forced his throat to seize with a mixture of anger and fear. The Voice was quite pleased with the turn of events and was humming contentedly while the building took shape as it rose out of the horizon. It was placed atop a hill, theoretically in the exact center of the city. Twelve pillars rose up at the hills rise with a larger obelisk like construction to form a large sundial. How useful Ryu thought cynically as he watched the shadow from the center obelisk mark out the fourth hour of the latter part of the day.  
  
The closer Ryu and his "entourage" got to the acropolis the more Dragons and the more guards there were. Just about everyone in sight carried a sword or long-knife of some kind. Armor was worn just as often as a tunic and by the looks of it was worn with the same amount of comfort. "Gerczek, what's with all the armed people around here? For that matter, what's with all the troops?" Ryu asked bluntly.  
  
Gerczek seemed almost surprised at the question, which made sense considering he was used to a large amount of armed Dragons wandering about like regular citizens. "The Clansmen need something to occupy their time while they're waiting, why not have them study warfare." He said with ambivalence coating his voice.  
  
"I suppose that makes sense." If you're fucking crazy. Ryu added mentally, continuing to eye the armed Dragons with distrust. They finally reached the foot of the hill and began their assent using a marble staircase with sentries posted every ten feet. The other Legionnaires took up a protective formation right at the stairs and looked at each of the Dragons with intense scrutiny. "Just a little paranoid don't you think?" Ryu asked, his eyebrows rising with the question.  
  
Gerczek shrugged it off and continued walking in silence until they reached the end of the stairs and the beginning of the large amphitheater built into the hill, the obelisk was much taller that Ryu had originally given credit with it being at the base of the bowl carved into the hill. Row upon row of the amphitheater was filled with other Dragons dressed in a similar fashion to Gerczek with different colors or emblems on their robes. "You'll have to leave your weapons out here with the guards." Gerczek said gesturing to the sword on Ryu's back. If this had been any other place, and the guards anyone but Dragons, Ryu would have resisted and cut down anyone who would have disagreed.  
  
Ryu sighed in disgust as he unbuckled the sword from his back and handed it to the guard. Bile rose in his throat at the very idea of being with a weapon of some kind but he handed it over anyways. The Voice was chortling at Ryu's reaction to this request and no matter how much it had clamored for death in the castle it laughed at his desire to kill now.  
  
Relieved of his weapons Ryu slowly walked down the steps behind Gerczek, his eyes glancing from side to side taking in all the Senators already seated in the amphitheater. Gerczek continued on till the nadir of the hill was reached and the raised dais, presumably for speaking, stood before the two. "You can take a seat here while I introduce you to the rest of the senators." Gerczek said as he stepped up onto the platform. Silence fell over the assembled Dragons as Gerczek cleared his throat and prepared to speak. "Senators, as you have heard from the General's report a Dragon has arrived by way of the ferry. He will speak his circumstances to you now." He curtly bowed and stepped off the dais and jerked his head signaling for Ryu to get up on the platform. "Start from the beginning, the very beginning."  
  
Ryu stood up slowly, not expecting the speech to be over so soon nor to have to speak himself. Scowling up at the collection of senators reclining in comfortable wooden chairs Ryu bent over and picked up the chair he had been sitting in. He was mildly surprised at the weight but he ignored it as he hefted it onto the dais and placed it dead center. Ryu sat back down and tossed one leg over the arm casually. "I'll be damned if I have to stand while I tell you this story, 'cause it's long, and not that interesting." Ryu said, tipping the chair back with the foot he had on the ground. "It all started when my mother got knocked up by the 'love of her life' who consequently disappeared proving once again that easy sex is infinitely more desirable than love...  
  
That is it, I'm done, I'm tired, and I'm moving on. This story didn't end with answers and I didn't plan on giving them to you in this story anyways. I'm working on the next part as I speak and it should prove to be more ambitious. If I haven't reviewed your story in a while it is because I was apathetic. Are you satisfied now? No you are not, but I'm working on getting back to reading and reviewing stories.  
  
Fact of the Chapter: Did you know that while the word ambidextrous means to be equally able to use left and right, the Latin word dexter means "right", so ambidextrous would literally translate and into two right hands. 


End file.
